7
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Creative Activities for Young Children 7th Edition by Mary Mayesky
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Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Mayesky, Mary. Creative activities for young children / Mary Mayesky.—7th ed. p. cm. Includes bibliographical references and index. ISBN 0-7668-2521-3 1. Creative activities and seat work. 2. Early childhood education—Activity programs—United States. 3. Child development—United States. I. Title LB1139.35.A37 M365 2001 372.13—dc21 2001017189
NOTICE TO THE READER Publisher does not warrant or guarantee any of the products described herein or perform any independent analysis in connection with any of the product information contained herein. Publisher does not assume, and expressly disclaims, any obligation to obtain and include information other than that provided to it by the manufacturer. The reader is expressly warned to consider and adopt all safety precautions that might be indicated by the activities herein and to avoid all potential hazards. By following the instructions contained herein, the reader willingly assumes all risks in connection with such instructions. The Publisher makes no representation or warranties of any kind, including but not limited to, the warranties of fitness for particular purpose or merchantability, nor are any such representations implied with respect to the material set forth herein, and the publisher takes no responsibility with respect to such material. The publisher shall not be liable for any special, consequential, or exemplary damages resulting, in whole or part, from the readers’ use of, or reliance upon, this material.
PR E FACE ■ xi
PART 1
Theories Relating to Child Development
1
SECTION 1 Fostering Creativity and Aesthetics in Young Children ■ 2 CHAPTE R 1
The Concept of Creativity ■ 3 What is Creativity? ■ 3 Importance of Creativity ■ 6 Characteristics of Creativity ■ 7 Helping Children Express Creativity ■ 8
CHAPTE R 2
Promoting Creativity ■ 17 Promoting Creativity in the Curriculum ■ 17 Promoting Creativity through Play and Exploration ■ 18 Modifying Curriculum to Promote Creativity ■ 21 Promoting Creativity through Positive Acceptance ■ 22 Creative Questioning for Children ■ 23 Motivating Skills for Teachers ■ 25
CHAPTE R 3
The Concept of Aesthetics ■ 32 Aesthetics and the Quality of Learning ■ 33 Benefits of Aesthetic Sensitivity ■ 36 Aesthetic Experiences ■ 37
CHAPTE R 4
Promoting Aesthetic Experiences ■ 46 Looking and Seeing ■ 46 Sensing, Feeling, and Imagining ■ 47 Finding and Organizing Aesthetic Materials ■ 48 Aesthetic Use of Materials ■ 49 Guidance in Using Aesthetic Materials ■ 50
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CONTENTS
SECTION 2 Planning and Implementing Creative Activities ■ 60 CHAPTE R 5
Children, Teachers, and Creative Activities ■ 61 Consider the Child ■ 62 Consider the Teacher/Caregiver ■ 70 Strategies for Success ■ 71
CHAPTE R 6
Creative Environments ■ 76 Physical Space: General Guidelines ■ 76 Arrangement of Space and Equipment ■ 78 Activity/Interest Centers ■ 80 Selection of Equipment for Creative Activities ■ 84
CHAPTE R 7
Using Media to Promote Creativity ■ 88 Importance of Using Media ■ 88 Activities to Develop Creativity ■ 89 Value of Computers in Early Childhood Programs ■ 90 Choosing Software for Young Children ■ 92 The Internet and Early Childhood Programs ■ 93
SECTION 3 Art and the Development of the Young Child ■ 99 CHAPTE R 8
Art and Social-Emotional Growth ■ 100 Self-Concept and Self-Acceptance ■ 100 Child-to-Child Relationships ■ 103 Child-to-Teacher Relationships ■ 104 Child-to-Group Relationships ■ 109
CHAPTE R 9
Art and Physical-Mental Growth ■ 117 Art and Physical (Motor) Development ■ 117 Art and Mental Development ■ 124 Art and the Total Program ■ 127
CHAPTE R 10
Developmental Levels and Art ■ 137 Developmental Levels/Stages of Art ■ 137 Children’s Drawing ■ 138 The Scribble Stage ■ 138 The Basic Forms Stage ■ 142 The Pictorial Stage ■ 146
CONTENTS
SECTION 4 The Early Childhood Art Program ■ 160 CHAPTE R 11
Program Basics: Goals, Setting Up, Materials, and Strategies ■ 161 Basic Goals of the Early Childhood Art Program ■ 161 Setting Up for Art Activities ■ 164 Setting Up for Art Activities—Specific Stages ■ 167 Basic Equipment, Materials, and Use ■ 174 Safety ■ 181
CHAPTE R 12
Two-Dimensional Activities ■ 187 Picture Making ■ 187 Printmaking ■ 195 Collage ■ 200
CHAPTE R 13
Three-Dimensional Activities ■ 205 Developmental Levels and Three-Dimensional Media ■ 205 The Value of Clay ■ 207 Strategies for Working with Clay ■ 208 Modeling ■ 208 Assemblage ■ 211 Cardboard Construction ■ 213 Woodworking ■ 214
SECTION 5 Play, Development, and Creativity ■ 223 CHAPTE R 14 The Role of Creative Play in Development ■ 224
What is Play? ■ 224 Importance of Play in Child Development ■ 226 Stages of Play ■ 231
PART 2
Theory into Practice: Creative Activities for the Early Childhood Program
239
SECTION 6 Creative Activities in Other Curricular Areas ■ 240 CHAPTE R 15
Dramatic Play and Puppetry ■ 241 Importance of Dramatic Play ■ 241 Dramatic Play in the Home (or Housekeeping) Center ■ 244 Puppets ■ 248
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CONTENTS
CHAPTE R 16
Creative Movement ■ 256 The Importance of Movement Activities for Young Children ■ 256 Planning Creative Movement Activities to Meet Young Children’s Needs ■ 257
CHAPTE R 17
Creative Music ■ 271 Goals for Young Children’s Music Experiences ■ 274 Planning Music Activities ■ 274
CHAPTE R 18
Creative Language Experiences ■ 289 Development of Language ■ 289 Development of Speech ■ 290 Development of Rules of Speech ■ 290 Understanding Bilingual/Bicultural Young Children’s Language Development ■ 292 Development of Listening ■ 293 Emerging Literacy ■ 294 Pre-Writing Skills ■ 296 Poetry Experiences ■ 296 Children’s Books ■ 299
CHAPTE R 19
Creative Science ■ 318 Science and the Young Child ■ 318 Types of Science Activities ■ 319 Art and Science ■ 321 The Discovery/Science Center ■ 323 Environmental Education ■ 325 Environmental Activities in School ■ 327 Outdoor Science ■ 330
CHAPTE R 20
Creative Mathematics ■ 346 Developmental Pattern of Learning Mathematical Ideas ■ 347 Mathematics in the Movement Center ■ 348 Mathematics in the Art Center ■ 348 Mathematics at the Water Table ■ 350 Mathematics in the Home Center ■ 350 Mathematics in the Block Center ■ 350 Mathematical Concepts: Definitions and Related Activities ■ 353 Mathematics Grades 3–5 ■ 355
CONTENTS
CHAPTE R 21
Creative Food Experiences ■ 366 Importance of Food Experiences to the Total Program ■ 366 Food Activities That Help Children's Creativity ■ 372 Getting Started ■ 372 Integrated Food Units—Elementary Level ■ 373 Reducing Sugar In Children’s Diets ■ 375
CHAPTE R 22
Creative Social Studies ■ 394 Situation 1 ■ 394 Situation 2 ■ 394 Learning About One’s World ■ 396 Individual Development and Identity ■ 396 People in the Community ■ 399 Teaching Young Children About Peace ■ 404
CHAPTE R 23
Creative Health and Safety Experiences ■ 414 Health and Safety in the Early Years ■ 414 Health Practices ■ 414 Early Childhood Health Concerns ■ 416 Safety Education ■ 418
SECTION 7 Creative Celebrations: Holidays in the Early Childhood Curriculum ■ 433 CHAPTE R 24
The Place of Celebrations in the Curriculum ■ 435 Meaning of Holidays ■ 435 Celebrations and Holidays—The Old Way ■ 435 Celebrations—Feelings and Beliefs ■ 437
CHAPTE R 25
Including Celebrations in the Curriculum ■ 442 Developing a Policy for Celebrations ■ 442 Basic Steps to a Holiday Policy ■ 443
CHAPTE R 26
Developmentally Appropriate Celebrations ■ 450 Achieving Developmentally Appropriate Holiday Celebrations in the Curriculum ■ 452 Developmentally Appropriate Celebrations in the Year Round Curriculum ■ 456 Developmentally Appropriate Holiday Celebrations— A Final Note ■ 457
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CONTENTS
CHAPTE R 27
Resources for Celebrations ■ 462 Children’s Books ■ 462 Using the Internet for Resources ■ 463 Books for Children ■ 464 References for Teachers ■ 475
SECTION 8 Seasons ■ 478 CHAPTE R 28
Seasons: Aesthetic Awareness ■ 479 The Aesthetics of Autumn ■ 480 Autumn Experiences for Children ■ 480 Autumn Experiences for Older Children ■ 483 The Aesthetics of Winter ■ 485 Winter Experiences for Children ■ 486 Winter Experiences for Older Children ■ 488 The Aesthetics of Spring ■ 489 Spring Experiences for Children ■ 489 Spring Experiences for Older Children ■ 492 The Aesthetics of Summer ■ 493 Summer Experiences for Children ■ 494 Summer Experiences for Older Children ■ 496
APPE N DICES APPE N DIX A
Gross and Fine Motor Skills ■ 503
APPE N DIX B
Language Development Objectives and Activities for Infants and Toddlers ■ 505
APPE N DIX C
Basic Program Equipment and Materials for an Early Childhood Center ■ 507
APPE N DIX D
Room and Yard Organization, Exhibitions, and Displays ■ 512
APPE N DIX E
Recycled Materials ■ 516
APPE N DIX F
Criteria for Selecting Play Equipment for Young Children ■ 521
APPE N DIX G
Puppet Patterns ■ 523
G LOSSARY ■ 527 I N DEX ■ 533
The year 2000 marked a new century, a new millennium, the completion of this seventh edition of Creative Activities for Young Children, and my nineteenth marathon. By the time I completed this revision, the 26.2-mile marathon was definitely an easier undertaking! Updating this seventh edition has been a true challenge in light of the never-ending changes technology has made in the field of early childhood education. It’s not unusual to find three- and four-year-olds who are more computer literate than their parents. Yet, at the same time, we find ourselves more and more consumed by the complexities of life, often losing touch with the simpler, slower-paced world of years past. Many teachers are finding increasingly more and more young children entering preschool and elementary schools lacking many basic social and academic skills considered essential for success in school. The “slow that it takes to grow” seems to be losing ground in our ever-changing, complex world. However, young children’s needs are the very same today in this seventh edition as they were in the first edition of Creative Activities for Young Children. Children need time to grow and explore their world at their own pace. They thrive in an environment that nourishes their creativity. Our need for creativity as a society is even greater in today’s technological world. This was made evident to me when I was doing research for this revision. I asked a large, local school system for its arts and music curriculum for review. The Curriculum Specialist said she would have to dig them up since they hadn’t worked on them in years. Obviously, the arts have not kept up with technology in this particular school system. I suspect it’s not too different in other areas of the country. This brings me to the same place where I began this book many years ago. And, that is to the important role teachers play in encouraging children’s creativity. You are the key to how children view their creative efforts in the arts as well as in all curricular areas. This book is written with you in mind. The same purpose remains in this edition as in the first six; it is designed for the person who is dedicated to helping young children reach their full potential. It is written for people who want to know more about creativity, creative children, creative teaching, and creative curriculum and activities.
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PREFACE
The seventh edition of Creative Activities for Young Children has been updated and revised to reflect an increased emphasis on creativity, including it in all the curricular areas. In our world of rapidly advancing technology, it is even more crucial to encourage and cherish creativity in each and every child. It is not enough to know how to use technology. It is not enough to know facts and figures. Young children will need to know how to ask questions, to search for their own answers, how to look at things in many different ways, and how to create their own sense of beauty and meaning in life.
NEW FEATURES Some specific features of the seventh edition are: ■ Inclusion of children through grade 5. Because early childhood certification in many states covers kindergarten through grade 5, this text has been revised to include children through grade 5. ■ Information and activities for middle to upper elementary age children (grades 3–5) have been termed “Activities for Older Children” throughout the text. While this information is intended to cover grades 3–5, your own knowledge of a student’s ability should be your guide to using any of the suggested activities in this text. ■ “Software for Children” is a new section included in the chapter end sections where appropriate. Suggested age levels are included with each CD-ROM reference. Information on choosing appropriate software for children has also been included in Chapter 7. ■ In Chapter 7, a new section on the types of Internet sites appropriate for children’s use is included. ■ The valuable resource of the Internet has been included throughout this edition. References to selected Web sites for both students and teachers are included throughout the text providing additional information relative to the specific chapter. ■ National standards developed in mathematics, social studies, and science have been included and tied into activities in these respective chapters. ■ New “This One’s for You” and “Think About It…” features have been added throughout the text. ■ New Additional Reading lists have been included in each chapter. ■ New Children’s Book Lists are at the end of each chapter. In this seventh edition, children’s books have been divided into three sections: Preschool, Kindergarten– Grade 3, and Grades 4–5. ■ Section 7 has been revised to address the question of holidays in the early childhood curriculum. There are no longer separate chapters on holidays. In their place is the section “Creative Celebrations: Holidays in the Early Childhood Curriculum.” The four chapters in this section are designed to be a guide to assist you in creating your own unique and group-specific, anti-bias celebrations. Included in this section are: Chapter 24, “The Place of Celebrations in the Curriculum”; Chapter 25, “Including Celebrations in the Curriculum”; Chapter 26, “Developmentally Appropriate Celebrations”; and Chapter 27, “Resources for Celebrations.” Chapter 27 is designed to be a resource for non-biased, multi-cultural children’s books appropriate for use in early childhood programs. It contains an annotated list of books for children organized by preschool, kindergarten–grade 3, and grades 4–5 levels. ■ Section 8 has also been revised to reflect a new approach to the seasons of the year. Instead of separate units on each season of the year, these units have been com-
PREFACE
■ xiii
bined into one chapter entitled, “Seasons: Aesthetic Awareness.” The purpose of this chapter is to preserve, encourage, and enrich the child’s aesthetic appreciation and awareness of the seasons of the year. Aesthetic awareness is the unifying strategy for looking at all of the seasons, rather than an activity approach. ■ More sugar-free and reduced-sugar recipes in Chapter 21, “Creative Food Experiences,” as well as in other chapters, are designated by the symbol of a large smiley face. ■ Key terms are bold and in color on first mention, and are listed alphabetically at the
ends of the chapters, and in the glossary at the back of the book. ■ Information on flannel and story boards, and storytelling are included in Chapter 15. ■ More picture recipes are included in the food chapter (Chapter 21).
INSTRUCTOR’S MANUAL A key supplement to the seventh edition of Creative Activities for Young Children is an Instructor’s Manual. The Instructor’s Manual includes answers to review questions, multimedia resources, and discussion topics for every chapter of the text. In an effort to make teaching of the ideas in the text even more exciting and interesting for the student, the Instructor’s Manual also includes Observation Sheets, Student Activity Sheets, and masters for Overhead Transparencies. These additional teaching aids are provided for each chapter of the text and are tied into the main ideas of the chapter. In addition to these teaching aids, each chapter of the Instructor’s Manual provides many supplemental teaching ideas to expand on and enrich teaching of each unit. These teaching ideas range from traditional ideas such as activities using two- and three-dimensional media, to less traditional activities such as an outdoor scavenger hunt for textures.
COMPUTERIZED TEST BANK Another new supplement to the seventh edition of Creative Activities for Young Children is the computerized test bank (CTB) comprised of multiple choice, true/false, short answer, matching, and completion questions for each chapter. Instructors can use the computerized test bank software to create sample quizzes for students. Refer to the CTB User’s Guide for more information on how to create and post quizzes to your school’s Internet or Intranet server. Students may also access sample quizzes from the Online Resources™ to accompany this seventh edition of Creative Activities for Young Children at www.EarlyChildEd.delmar.com.
ONLINE RESOURCES™ The Online Resources™ to accompany the seventh edition of Creative Activities for Young Children is your link to early childhood education on the Internet. The Online Resources™ contain many features to help focus your understanding of creative activities for the young child. ■ Critical Thinking Forum—In this section you have the opportunity to respond to “This One’s for You” and “Think About It” concepts. Various creative activity scenarios and thought-provoking questions test your understanding of the content provided in the text. You can share your ideas with classmates and interact informally with your instructor online.
xiv ■
PREFACE
■ Web Activities—These activities direct you to a Web site(s) and allow you to conduct
further research and apply content related to creative activities for young children. ■ Web Links—For each chapter, a summarized list of Web links is provided for your reference. ■ Sample Quizzes—Questions are provided on-line to test your knowledge of the material presented. ■ Online Early Education Survey—This survey gives you the opportunity to respond to what features you like and what features you want to see improved on the Online Resources™.
The Online Resources™ icon appears at the end of each chapter to prompt you to go online and take advantage of the many features provided. You can find the Online Resources™ at www.EarlyChildEd.delmar.com. The Online Resources™ requires the following username and password to enter the restricted area. username: e8c3e7m2 password: delmar19 Creative Activities for Young Children is written for anyone who is interested in children, but since it is written especially for busy people who work with children in early childhood settings, the following points are emphasized: ■ The approach to creativity is a practical one. A wide variety of activities is included
in each chapter. All activities have been classroom-tested. ■ Information on why activities should be carried out as well as how to carry them out
is presented. Theory is provided where it is needed. ■ Learning activities are included to help readers experience their own creativity. ■ References for additional reading are given at the end of each chapter so students
can explore each subject in more depth as desired. ■ Each chapter begins with carefully worded, easy-to-understand objectives and ends
with a summary. Review questions are in each chapter where appropriate. ■ Each section starts with reflective questions linking together the chapters in the sec-
tion. Part 1 presents a general discussion of various child development theories. Included in Part 1 are chapters on creativity, aesthetic experiences, social-emotional, and physical-mental growth, as reflected in art development theories. Part 1 sets an appropriate theoretical stage for application of these theories in specific curriculum areas presented in Part 2. Part 2 covers the early childhood curriculum in Section 6, Section 7, and Section 8. Section 6 covers creativity in curriculum areas. Section 7 addresses the place of holiday celebrations in the curriculum, and Section 8 covers the seasons of the year with aesthetic awareness as the unifying theme. The authors and Delmar affirm that the Web site URLs referenced herein were accurate at the time of printing. However, due to the fluid nature of the Internet, we cannot guarantee their accuracy for the life of the edition.
PREFACE
■ xv
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS The author gratefully acknowledges the contributions of the many people who helped make this book possible: Casper Holroyd, for the many wonderful photos of children; Vassar College for their photos of children; the children and staff at Highland Memorial Preschool and After School Program for their assistance and cooperation; the professionals who were so thorough and helpful in their review of the manuscript; Charles E. Merrill Publishing Company, for permission to reprint materials used in Chapters 4 and 23; the National Association for the Education of Young Children, for permission to print materials in Chapters 7, 17, 26, and 27; and Scholastic Early Childhood Today for permission to print materials in Chapter 7. Sincere thanks to Melissa Riveglia, Developmental Editor, for her constant and vigilant attention to this text in its production. Finally, to Claire M. Holroyd, for her inspiration and constant encouragement in the process of this work. The author and Delmar would like to express their gratitude to the following professionals who offered numerous, valuable suggestions: Linda Aiken, MA Southwestern Community College Sylva, North Carolina
Gloria Foreman McGee, EdD Tennessee Technological University Cookeville, Tennessee
Wendy Sue Bertoli, MEd Lancaster County Career and Technology Center Mount Joy, Pennsylvania
Gwen Morgan-Beazall Rancho Santiago College Santa Ana, California
Elaine Camerin, MEd Daytona Beach Community College Daytona Beach, Florida Peggy DeMuth, BA College of the Sequoias Visalia, California
Lelia Christie Mullis, EdD State University of West Georgia Dalton, Georgia Becky Wyatt, MS Murray State College Tishomingo, Oklahoma
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SECTION 1 Fostering Creativity and Aesthetics in Young Children
ABOUT THE AUTHOR Mary Mayesky, Ph.D., author of this seventh edition, is a certified preschool, elementary, and secondary teacher. She is a former professor in the Program in Education at Duke University, former director of the Early Childhood Certification Program, and supervisor of student teachers. She has served as assistant director for programs in the Office of Day Services, Department of Human Resources, State of North Carolina. She is also the former principal of the Mary E. Phillips Magnet School in Raleigh, North Carolina, the first licensed child care magnet in the Southeast. She has served several terms on the North Carolina Day Care Commission and on the Wake County School Board. Dr. Mayesky has worked in Head Start, child care, kindergarten, and YWCA early childhood programs and has taught kindergarten through grade eight in the public schools. She has written extensively for professional journals and for general circulation magazines in the area of child development and curriculum design. She is a member of Phi Beta Kappa, and was named Woman of the Year in Education by the North Carolina Academy of the YWCA. Her other honors include being named Outstanding Young Educator by the Duke University Research Council, receiving the American Association of School Administrators Research Award, and being nominated for the Duke University Alumni Distinguished Undergraduate Teaching Award. A marathon runner, Dr. Mayesky has completed nineteen marathons and received many awards in road races and senior games. She is an active member of the Raleigh Host Lions Club, having served as its first woman president. She thanks her Yoga instructors for helping her get through the writing tasks undertaken thus far.
THEORIES RELATING TO CHILD DEVELOPMENT Part 1 presents a general discussion of various theories relating to child development. Beginning with the concept of creativity, theories, techniques, and basic program components and their relationship to the growth of creativity in young children are presented. Within this theoretical context of creativity, Part 1 provides basic information on planning and implementing creative activities for young children. Also included is a section on art and how it is related to the physical, mental, and social-emotional development of young children. Practical information is included on how to set up an early childhood art program that encourages creativity, with chapters for both two- and three-dimensional activities. The final section of Part 1 covers the concept of play and its relationship to a child’s overall development, as well as development of creativity in play. At the end of each chapter in Part 1 are many suggested activities designed to reinforce the concepts covered in each chapter. A wide variety of field-tested activities for young children up to and including grade 5 are also included in each chapter for use with young children. The review questions and references for further reading provided at the end of each chapter further reinforce the main concepts. In essence, Part 1 sets the theoretical stage for application of these theories in the more specific subject and classroom areas presented in Part 2.
S E CTIO N 1 Fostering Creativity and Aesthetics in Young Children
S E CTIO N 2 Planning and Implementing Creative Activities
S E CTIO N 3 Art and the Development of the Young Child
S E CTIO N 4 The Early Childhood Art Program
S E CTIO N 5 Play, Development, and Creativity
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SECTION 1 Fostering Creativity and Aesthetics in Young Children REFLECTIVE QUESTIONS After studying this section, you should be able to answer the following questions. 1. How could I change my current teaching strategies in order to better encourage the development of creativity in young children? 2. How do I encourage the development of a child’s aesthetic sense in my classroom environment, lessons, and activities? 3. Are my teaching strategies based on the principles of creative development? How many of them encourage convergent thinking? How many encourage divergent thinking? 4. What thinking styles do my children have? Do I adapt my teaching to fit these individual differences? 5. Using the information on creativity and aesthetics, how will I now question my students about concepts and ideas? 6. As I plan classroom methodologies and management systems, am I keeping in mind the importance of cultivating creativity and the aesthetic sense in children? 7. What am I doing to help young children recognize their own uniqueness, creativity, and aesthetic sense? 8. What instructional strategies are best for the development of creativity and the aesthetic sense in young children? 9. What role will creativity have in my planning of curriculum for young children? 10. How will I talk with young children about their art and what they feel is beautiful? 11. How will I share with parents the importance of nurturing a child’s creativity and sense of beauty? 12. How have I changed as a result of my learning about creativity and aesthetics?
THE CONCEPT OF CREATIVITY OBJECTIVES After studying this chapter, you should be able to: 1. Define creativity. 2. List three ways in which children benefit from an environment in which creativity is encouraged. 3. List two ways teachers benefit from encouraging creativity in the classroom. 4. Name five things a teacher can do to help children develop a willingness to express creativity. 5. List several characteristics of creative children.
T
ake a few minutes to watch a four-year-old child in action. At one moment he is building a tower out of blocks. Suddenly he spots one of his friends playing with a homemade finger puppet. He wants to make one, too. A bit later he is playing with a guinea pig, stroking its fur and tickling its chin. Next, he is placing long, wide strokes of color on a piece of paper and getting spots of paint on everything in sight. What is this? Now he is at the sand table building a sand castle with a high sand tower that keeps falling over. He seems to have discovered something. It is easier to build a tower out of blocks than out of sand; so he is back building with wooden blocks. It looks as though he is back where he started, except that the new block tower does not look anything like the one he started earlier. It is exciting to watch active young children studying the world around them. A couple of things become clear almost immediately. First of all, children are full of curiosity. They seem to enjoy investigating and finding out things. Second, they seem quite capable of doing
this successfully. They are very creative in finding answers to problems that arise from their curiosity. A child can figure out how to reach a needed block that somehow got thrown behind the piano. Another child selects interesting materials in order to make a finger puppet that is different from all the others. Young children seem to have a natural ability to come up with creative answers, creative approaches, and creative uses of materials. People who work with young children need to understand creativity and have the skills to help and encourage children express their creative natures. They should realize the importance of creativity for both children and teachers. They should be able to identify creativity in children and be able to help them develop a willingness to express this creativity.
WHAT IS CREATIVITY? Perhaps the most important thing to realize about creativity is that everyone possesses a certain amount of it.
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SECTION 1 Fostering Creativity and Aesthetics in Young Children
FIGURE 1–1
Young children are naturally industrious and involved in learning new skills.
Some people are a little more creative, some a little less. No one is totally uncreative. Young children tend to be highly open and creative. Unfortunately, many adults want children to conform. As outside pressures from adults grow, the children’s environment closes in on them. They find it less and less rewarding to express interest in things, to be curious, to be creative in investigating their world. To avoid this, it is important to know ways of encouraging a child’s creativity. To begin with, one should understand the meaning of the term creativity. There are many meanings for this word. A definition by one writer on the subject, May (1975, p. 39) describes creativity as the “process of bringing something new into being.” Paul Torrance (1970), a pioneer in the study of the creative process, suggests that creativity is the ability to produce something novel, something with the stamp of uniqueness upon it. More recently, creativity is further defined as a combination of abilities, skills, motivations, and attitudes. Much like athletic ability, creativity is really a combination of many different abilities. It is more useful to think of many types of creativities. (Ripple, 1999, p. 629). There are many different senses of the term creativity. One researcher separates the types of creativity in this way: “Capital C” Creativity, which involves bringing into existence something genuinely new that receives social validation enough to be added to the culture (an example of Capital C creativity is the invention of the light bulb); and “Small C” creativity which involves ideas or products that are new to the person, but only to the person (An example of small c creativity is a child’s new use of blending finger-paint colors). (Ripple).
FIGURE 1–2
Children may use play equipment in unexpected ways.
The following definition may help the student understand the concept better. Creativity is a way of thinking and acting or making something that is original for the individual and valued by that person or others. A person does not have to be the first one in the world to produce something in order for it to be considered a creative act.
THE CREATIVE PROCESS When someone is creating something, there are usually two parts to that person’s activity. The first part has to do with originality—the discovery of an idea, plan, or answer. The second part has to do with working out, proving, and making certain that the idea or answer works or is possible. The first part, discovering, involves using the imagination, playing with ideas, and exploring. The second part, process, involves using learned skills, evaluating, and testing.
THOUGHT PROCESSES AND CREATIVITY There are two kinds of thinking that produce solutions to problems. One of these types is called convergent thinking. The other type is called divergent thinking.
CHAPTER 1 The Concept of Creativity
Convergent thinking usually results in a single answer or solution to a question or problem. Divergent thinking opens things up and results in many answers to a single problem. For example, if a child is asked to count the number of fish in an aquarium, there is only one correct answer. This is a question that leads children to convergent thinking. On the other hand, if a child is asked to tell as many things as possible about the aquarium, there are obviously many correct statements that can be made. Questions such as this encourage divergent rather than convergent thinking. Creativity requires both divergent and convergent thinking. Both types of thinking are important to creativity. Consequently, the teacher’s challenge is to avoid replacing one with the other. Another way to think about this is that children must learn the “way things are done” (convergent thinking) before truly experiencing the creative process. For example, a child needs to learn how to hold and use a paintbrush (convergent learning) before she can experience the process of painting. An older child must learn the rules (e.g., what are the parts of a book report?) before she can begin to break or change the rules to be creative (e.g., giving a book report as a board game). In dealing with young children, the focus should be on the process—i.e., developing and generating original ideas. This focus on the process encourages the development of creativity across the curriculum, instead of being confined to art and music activities.
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CREATIVITY AND OLDER CHILDREN With older children, creativity involves more of an emphasis on the criteria of high-quality, original products or solutions. The development of creative products emerges later in the child’s development. An example of this is seen in the fourth and fifth grade science fair projects. It becomes very apparent that some projects are more creative than others. For example, a student who created and tested a new chair design may seem to have an idea of a different quality from another student who investigated which commercial cleaning product worked best on stains. At this level with older children, creativity is seen as original products or original solutions. Creativity with older children is more than the generation of ideas. It involves the creation of products. Original products are one of the characteristics of creativity with older children. Creativity goes beyond possession and use of artistic or musical talent. Creativity is evidenced not only in music, art, and writing, but throughout the curriculum, in science, social studies, and other areas. VARIETY AND CREATIVITY There is a kind of creativity that allows people to express themselves in a way that makes others listen and appreciate what they hear. There are creative abilities that enable human beings to discover meaning in nature— meaning that others had not understood before.
Free Yourself—To Be Creative
One of the pioneers of research into children’s creativity, Paul Torrance (1965), felt that we had to free ourselves to be creative before we can ever really be creative teachers. Here are some of his suggestions to free yourself to be creative. ■ Don’t be afraid to fall in love with something and to pursue it with intensity. ■ Know, understand, take pride in, practice, develop, exploit, and enjoy your greatest strengths. ■ Learn to free yourself from the expectations of others and to walk away from the games they impose on you. Free yourself to play your own game. ■ Find a great teacher or mentor who will help you. ■ Don’t waste energy trying to be well-rounded. ■ Do what you love and can do well. ■ Learn the skills of independence. How many of these apply to you? Are you free to be a creative teacher? Pick one or two of the suggestions that you most want to work on and then go!
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Identifying Creativity Creativity isn’t always recognized by teachers and peers. Actually, history is full of examples of people whose creativity wasn’t recognized in their school or work experience. Did you know that . . .
■ Albert Einstein was four years old before he could speak and seven before he could read. ■ Beethoven’s music teacher once said of him, “As a composer, he is hopeless.” ■ F. W. Woolworth got a job in a dry goods store at age 21, but his employers would not let him wait on customers because he “didn’t have enough sense.” ■ Leo Tolstoy flunked out of college. ■ A newspaper editor fired Walt Disney because he had “no good ideas.” ■ Abraham Lincoln entered the Black Hawk War as a captain and came out as a private. ■ Louisa May Alcott was told by an editor that she would never write anything that had popular appeal. ■ Winston Churchill failed the sixth grade. ■ Isaac Newton did poorly in grade school. ■ Thomas Edison’s teachers told him that he was too stupid to learn anything. ■ Admiral Richard Byrd had been retired from the Navy, declared “unfit for service,” when he flew over both poles. It is also important to recognize that creativity changes at different levels of development. Most people have ideas about what creativity is in adulthood, but what might we look for in a young child? It is crucial that early childhood teachers see creativity as part of the developmental process. For young children, a critical criterion for creative potential is originality (Tegano, Moran, & Sawyers, 1991). Thus, teachers of young children must understand the process that leads to original thinking. ORIGINALITY Originality can be seen in a kindergarten classroom where children are making collages from pieces of torn tissue paper. Mary’s experimenting with the material leads to her discovery of a way to make threedimensional bumps in the collage. Mary’s discovery of the three-dimensional aspect is a form of originality. Though making three-dimensional collages is certainly
not a new idea in a kindergarten classroom, it is an original idea for that particular child at that particular time. Consider another kindergarten classroom where the children are embellishing full-size outlines of their bodies. Most children are adding hair, faces, and clothes to their outlines, while Todd is making an internal drawing of his skeleton. Todd’s drawing of his skeleton is an original idea for him at that particular time. PROCESS OVER PRODUCT Let’s return to Mary and her three-dimensional collage. Teachers of young children need to be grounded in the process over product philosophy. The teacher’s observation of the process that leads to originality (exploration and experimentation with the materials) is more valuable than any judgment of the product (the three-dimensional bump may have been imperfect and collapsed in the end). Remember that young children do not always have the skills to make a creative product (an elaborate painting or a workable invention), and so the process that leads to originality is the focus of creative potential. Early childhood classrooms are full of examples of the process of original thinking. We see complex dramas unfold as children act out scenes of their own design, discover clever block building solutions, and demonstrate unique interpersonal problem solving (Tegano et al., 1991).
IMPORTANCE OF CREATIVITY Creativity is the mainspring of our civilization: from the concept of the wheel, through the steamboat, the telephone, the automobile, the airplane, radio and television, computers, automation, the electronics industry, nuclear power, and space travel. All the milestones of great inventions, scientific discoveries, as well as great painting, literature, music, drama, and all forms of artistic expression have depended on creative thinking of the highest order. Thus, the progress of civilization and humanity’s present evolutionary stature are essentially due to creative thinking and innovations. Our inherent creativity contributes to the very quality of our lives. The rapid changes of our present age require that problems be tackled creatively. The technological advances and discoveries during the next couple of decades could surpass all the past accomplishments in human history (Raudsepp, 1980). It is difficult to foretell exactly what knowledge we will need to solve future problems creatively. What the young are learning now will surely become obsolete. Everyone can and must
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■ being able to develop closer relationships with children. ■ having fewer behavior problems. ■ using a minimum of standardized curricula and external evaluation.
CHARACTERISTICS OF CREATIVITY Paul Torrance, a noted expert on creativity in children, has frequently emphasized that the kind of behavior teachers identify as desirable in children does not always coincide with characteristics associated with the creative personality. For example, teachers who think they value uniqueness may find that, when a child has spilled her milk because she tried the original method of holding the cup with her teeth, they don’t like creative exploration as much as they thought they did! There are certain things that our age needs. It needs, above all, courageous hope and the impulse to creativeness. Bertrand Russell
FIGURE 1–3
To be creative, children need time and space to create at their own pace.
continue to learn throughout life, but knowledge alone is no guarantee that we will meet future problems effectively. Only a strong creative ability will provide the means for coping with the future (Raudsepp). Children want to express themselves openly. They want to bring out new ideas and have new experiences. They enjoy creativity and benefit from it in many ways, including: ■ learning to feel good about themselves. ■ learning to seek many answers to a problem. ■ developing their potential to think. ■ developing their individuality. ■ developing new skills. ■ experiencing the joy of being different. Teachers also benefit from encouraging creativity, in such ways as: ■ being able to provide for more and greater variety in the program. ■ learning to recognize children for their unique skills.
This lack of conformity can be inconvenient, but teachers should realize that some creative individuals possess character traits that aren’t always easy to appreciate. Some of the less attractive qualities include stubbornness, finding fault with things, appearing haughty and self-satisfied, and being discontented (Torrance, 1962). Yet it is easy to see that stubbornness might be a valuable quality when carrying through a new idea or that finding fault and being discontented could result in
FIGURE 1–4
Children enjoy activities in which they participate freely and openly.
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“Unpackaging” Your Life
No teacher I’ve ever known became a teacher to stifle creativity in young children. Somewhere along the way, teachers become affected by the “package” syndrome: using “packaged” curricula, using “packages” of ideas, and—worst of all—expecting young children to come to the classroom in neat, tidy, predictable “packages.” To help restore your own joy of teaching, try this: ■ List the reasons why you became a teacher. ■ List what you like about young children. ■ List what you like about yourself. ■ List what you think is creative about you (in teaching and in your life in general). ■ Go over these lists whenever you are making choices that will directly affect young children—choices such as materials, texts, curricula. See how your choices fit your lists. ■ Use your lists as a guide to “unpackaging” your life.
questioning and analyzing a situation before coming up with suggestions for improving it. In all fairness, we must admit that we do not know at present if these less attractive attitudes lie at the root of creativity or if some of them are the result of mishandling by teachers, peers, and families as the child matures. On the other hand, Torrance also found that creative children possess many likable qualities, such as determination, curiosity, intuition, a willingness to take risks, a preference for complex ideas, and a sense of humor. We point out these possible problems of encouraging creativity in children not to discourage teachers from fostering such behavior, but to enlighten them so that they will not subtly reject or discourage creative responses out of failure to recognize the positive side of such behavior. Ideally, understanding creativity will result in increased acceptance and valuing of creativity in young children. Acceptance is vitally important because it will encourage children to develop their creativity further. Let us now summarize the ways to encourage creativity in all young children.
HELPING CHILDREN EXPRESS CREATIVITY There are at least eight things that can be done for children to help them express natural creative tendencies:
FIGURE 1–5
Young children have a natural ability to be creative in their use of materials.
CHAPTER 1 The Concept of Creativity
FIGURE 1-6
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Children develop a good self-concept when they are accepted for being themselves.
Help children accept change. A child who becomes overly worried or upset in new situations is unlikely to express creative potential.
Help children realize that some problems have no easy answers. This may help prevent children from becoming anxious when they cannot find an immediate answer to a question or problem.
Help children recognize that many problems have a number of possible answers. Encourage them to search for more than one answer. Then they can evaluate all the different answers to see which ones fit the situation best.
Help children learn to judge and accept their own feelings. Children should not feel guilty for having feelings about things. Create an environment where judgment is deferred and all ideas are respected, where discussion and debates are a means of trying out ideas in a nonthreatening atmosphere.
Reward children for being creative. Let children know that their creative ideas are valued. In fact, the more creative the idea or product, the more greatly they should be rewarded. It is also useful to help children realize that good work is sometimes its own reward.
Help children feel joy in their creative productions, and in working through a problem. Children should find that doing things and finding answers for themselves is fun. The adult should establish the conditions that allow this to take place.
FIGURE 1-7
In all creative activities for young children, the process is more important than the product.
Help children appreciate themselves for being different. There is a tendency to reward children for conforming. This discourages creativity. Children should learn to like themselves because they are unique.
Help children develop perseverance—“stickto-itiveness.” Help children by encouraging them to follow through. Provide chances for them to stick with an activity even if everyone else has moved on to something different.
SUMMARY Creativity is a way of thinking and acting or making something that is original for the individual and valued by that person or others. Young children are naturally creative. This means they behave in ways and do things that are unique and valued by themselves or others. Creativity in preschool children is stimulated when they are allowed to do divergent thinking. In many ways,
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Are You a Creative Doer or a Spectator?
Painter Stanley A. Czurles feels that the modern person has contracted the dreaded sickness called “spectatoritis,” which leads to increased feelings of boredom, lack of satisfaction, and apathy. In his view, only the creative person can experience true fulfillment in life. Czurles presents the following comparison of the two contrasting approaches to life. See if you can find yourself in either (or maybe both!) of the following two lists.
SPECTATOR ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■
Kills time Is an observer Has few self-sufficiency interests Seeks to have something happen to or for him or her Is involved in a merry-go-round of prestructured activities Has only temporary enjoyment, with little or no lasting product Is swept into activities Has fractionated experiences Is prone to boredom Experiences no deep challenge Accomplishes nothing very distinguished Curtails self by a focus on pessimistic personal concerns Has increased hardening of opinions and attitudes Achieves superficial trappings of culture Is subject to early spiritual-mental aging Experiences primarily what is
CREATIVE DOER ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■
Uses time to develop self Is involved, experiences personal achievement Is rich in self-enriching activities Is self-stimulating; is at home and in control of many conditions Enjoys selected relevant activities Experiences continuous satisfaction, achieves tangible results, and becomes a more efficiently functioning person Selects planned participation Has completeness and continuity of involvement Is stimulated by challenging interests Aspires more as he or she achieves new goals Grows in potential through unique achievements Is enlivened by a recognized freedom to pursue creative interests Continues being flexible through continuous new insights Experiences the essence of a culture Enjoys an extended youthful spirit Experiences what might be
(Adapted from More Creative Growth Games by Eugene Raudsepp. Copyright © 1980 by Eugene Raudsepp. Used by permission.)
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both the child and teacher benefit from activities that encourage creativity. With older children, the criteria of creativity involves more of an emphasis on original products or solutions. Some kinds of creative behavior are not seen by adults as desirable in children. The inconvenience and possible frustration caused by the constantly exploring child may lead even well-meaning adults to discourage this behavior. Understanding and accepting these behavior traits can go a long way in encouraging creativity in children. Original thinking and the process that leads to it are also important criteria in understanding creativity in young children. Children are being creative when they are solving problems, redefining situations, demonstrating flexibility, and being adventurous. Adults can help children develop a willingness to express creativity in many ways, such as by teaching them that change is natural in life and that many problems do not have easy answers. When children can go at their own pace and figure out their own way of doing things in a relaxed learning situation, they are likely to become more creative.
KEY TERMS “Capital C” Creativity convergent thinking creativity
divergent thinking process over product “Small C” creativity
LEARNING ACTIVITIES CHANGING THE KNOWN Although creative thinking can be hard thinking, that does not mean it cannot be fun. This activity is designed to prove it. Try it alone or with a few classmates. When the activity is completed, it may be enjoyable to compare lists with those of others. A. Materials needed: paper, pencil, wristwatch (or clock). B. Time allowed: two minutes. C. Task: List as many uses as you can (not related to building or construction) for a standard brick. Do not worry if some of them may seem silly. The important thing is to think of using something in a new and different way. D. It might be fun to try exercise C with a number of different objects: a nail, powder puff, paper clip, key, belt, cup, book, or other objects.
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GUIDED OBSERVATION Use the following suggestions in an early childhood classroom and write down your observations from these experiences. Provide free periods when materials are available and children can do whatever they wish with the materials. During these periods, observe who gets tired quickly and goes from one thing to another. Identify who becomes deeply involved with the materials. Also observe which children use materials in an unexpected way. Talk with children in ways that permit them to freely express opinions and ideas. Some children have set opinions and are closed to new ideas. For them, questions usually have just one answer. Other children see many possible ways of answering a question and come up with unexpected ideas and solutions. They also look at problems in many ways. Encourage children to share an experience. Then ask individual children to create a story about the experience or make a drawing. Some children just stick to the facts. Others are more imaginative in their stories or drawings. Unusual or unexpected relationships may be described by some children. In other words, when children are being creative, they are flexible, original, confident, and adventuresome. They can redefine situations and are willing to work at things for a long time. They will work hard and can produce many possible answers to a single question. This list can be used as a starting point to identity creativity in children. Common sense is also needed to help the identification process. Regardless of the degree of creativity possessed, children should be encouraged to fully develop whatever creative potential they have.
JUST SUPPOSE Creative thinking occurs when one imagines what might be. It is a way of “playing” with the mind. Here is an exercise that allows you to experience this type of creative process. It can be done alone or with a few classmates. A. Materials needed: paper, pencil. B. Time allowed: unlimited. C. Task: From the following eight possibilities choose any number of tasks. 1. “Just suppose” that there is nothing made of wood in the room. What would change? What would things look like? What dangers might exist? What would you be unable to do?
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2. “Just suppose” (try this with other people) you cannot use words, either written or spoken, for an hour. How can you communicate? What is frustrating about it? What is pleasing about it? What would it mean if it continued for days? 3. “Just suppose” you receive a million dollars and must spend it within two minutes. Make a list of ways to spend the money and compare lists with others in the class. 4. “Just suppose” you were the first person to meet a man from Mars and could ask him only three questions. What would they be? Compare your questions with those of others in the class. 5. “Just suppose” you were with Julius Caesar when he met Cleopatra for the first time. If you could say only one sentence, what would it be? 6. “Just suppose” you could be any person in the world for one hour. Who would it be? What would you do? Compare responses with classmates. 7. What would happen if all people awakened tomorrow morning to find themselves twice as large? Everyone could marry as many people as he or she wanted? 8. IMAGINE! Create seven sentences for which the seven-letter word “imagine” would be the acronym. All sentences should reflect in some way your thoughts about creative thinking, imagination, and ingenuity from what you have learned by reading this unit. Example: Ideas should not be hoarded or hidden. Many small solutions are necessary to solve big problems. All people are created creative. Good ideas drive out bad ideas. Innovative ideas are resisted by “spectators.” Never mind what others think—use your own judgment. Enjoy your fantasies—that’s what they are for! Now, it’s your turn! 9. Pick one or two characteristics associated with creativity that you would like to increase in your
10.
11.
12.
13.
14.
own life. For example, you might want to become more open to experience or more persistent. For a month, try to exercise that characteristic whenever you can. Record your efforts and see if you find that the characteristics can be changed. Creativity is not always expressed in schoolappropriate ways. For one week, pay careful attention to students causing disturbances in your room. Do you see evidence of creativity in their behavior? Propose and explain ways you could channel that originality in other ways. Get input from your fellow students on your ideas. Begin collecting books and stories about individuals who display the characteristics associated with creativity in positive ways. Use the list at the end of this chapter for suggested books. Share these books with your students. Consider the kinds of models that are being presented in your language arts, science, or social studies curricula. Would students be able to tell from them that you value originality, independence, or persistence? Read two biographies of the same creative person—one written for adults and the other for children (see list of suggested books at end of this chapter). Keep track of the emphases and information that are different. Do both books accurately describe the successes and failures in the person’s life, the triumph and setbacks? How might these differences affect your students? Divide a large piece of paper into squares and list one characteristic associated with creativity in each square. Leave the paper on your desk for two weeks. Each time a student does something to demonstrate a characteristic, put his or her name in that square. After the first time, just use tally marks. Be sure to mark the characteristic, even if it is displayed in a negative way. At the end of two weeks, see which students are listed most often. Are they students you expected? Next week, plan one class activity that you believe is truly unusual or novel, something no one in your class would have experienced
CHAPTER 1 The Concept of Creativity
before. Observe how your students respond. What does this tell you about your teaching?
CHAPTER REVIEW 1. Discuss the following terms briefly: a. creativity b. convergent thinking c. divergent thinking 2. List five things a teacher can do to help children develop a willingness to express creativity. 3. List three ways in which children benefit from engaging in creative activities. 4. List several characteristics of creativity. 5. Discuss the concepts of original thinking and process over product. 6. What is the difference in the criteria for creativity in older children? 7. Why are both convergent and divergent thinking important to creativity?
REFERENCES May, R. (1975). The courage to create. New York: W. W. Norton. Raudsepp, E. (1980). More creative growth games. New York: Pedigree Books, G. P. Putnam’s Sons. Ripple, R. (1999). Teaching creativity. In M. A. Runco & S. R. Pritzker (Eds.), Encyclopedia of creativity (Vol. 2). San Diego, CA: Academic Press. Tegano, D. W., Moran, J. D. III, & Sawyers, J. K. (1991). Creativity in early childhood classrooms. Washington, DC: NAEYC. Torrance, E. P. (1962). Guiding creative talent. Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice-Hall. Torrance, E. P. (1965). Rewarding creative behavior: Experiments in classroom creativity. Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice-Hall. Torrance, E. P. (1970). Encouraging creativity in the classroom. Dubuque, IA: William C. Brown.
ADDITIONAL READINGS Armstrong, T. (1998). Awakening genius in the classroom. Alexandria, VA: Association for Supervision and curriculum Development. Bredekamp, S. (Ed.). (1997). Developmentally appropriate practice in early childhood programs serving children from birth through age one (Rev. ed.). Washington, DC: National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC).
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Brittain, L. (Ed.). (1968). Viktor Lowenfeld speaks on art and creativity. Reston, VA: National Association of Educators of Art. Chenfeld, M. B. (1994). Teaching in the key of life. Washington, DC: NAEYC. Dighe, J., Calomiris, Z, & Vanzutphen, C. (1998). Nurturing the language of art in children. Young Children, 53(1), 4–9. Dobbs, R. (1998). Learning in and through art: A guide to discipline-based art education. Alexandria, VA: Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development. Edwards, L. C. (1997). Affective development and the creative arts: A process approach to early child-hood education (2nd ed.). Columbus, OH: Merrill-Macmillan. Engel, B. S. (1999). Considering children’s art: How and why to value their works. Washington, DC: NAEYC. Feldman, E. (1987). Varieties of visual experience (3rd ed.). Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice-Hall, Inc. Feldman, E. (1997). Becoming human through art. Reston, VA: National Art Education Association. Feldman, E. (1994). Teaching art and so on. Reston, VA: National Art Education Association (NAEA). Fineberg, J. (Ed.). (1998). Discovering child art. Princeton, NJ: Princeton University Press. Fowler, C. (1996). Strong arts, strong schools: The promising potential and strong shortsighted disregard of the arts in American schooling. New York: Oxford University Press. Guilford, J. P. (1968). Intelligence, creativity and their educational implications. San Diego, CA: Robert R. Knapp. Hammond, M., Howard, P., Marantz, K., Packard, M., Shaw, J., & Wilson, H. M. (1994). The picture book: Source and resource for art education. Reston, VA: National Art Educators Association (NAEA). Jackson, P. W. (1998). John Dewey and the lessons of art. New Haven, CT: Yale University Press. Johnson, A. (1992). Art Education: Elementary. Reston, VA: NAEA. Jones, L. S. (1998). Art information on the Internet. Phoenix, AZ: Oryx. McCutchan, A. (2000). The muse that sings: Composers speak about the creative process. New York: Oxford University Press. Ripple, R. (1999). Teaching creativity. In M. A. Reinco & S. R. Pritzker (Eds.), Encyclopedia of creativity (Vol. 2). San Diego, CA: Academic Press. Rufer, L., Lake, B., Robinson, E., & Hicks, J. (1998). Stretching our boundaries and breaking barriers to the public mind. Art Education, 51(3), 43–51. Runco, M. A., & Pritzker, S. (Eds.). (1999). Encyclopedia of creativity (Vols. 1 & 2). San Diego, CA: Academic Press. Sacca, E., & Zimmerman, E. (1998). Women art educators IV: Her stories, our stories, future stories. Reston, VA: NAEA.
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Sanders, T. (1998). Strategic thinking and the new science: Planning in the midst of chaos, complexity and change. New York: The Free Press. Seefeldt, C. (1995). Art–A serious work. Young Children, 50(3), 39–45. Smith, R. (1995). Excellence II: The continuing quest in art education. Reston, VA: NAEA. Tegano, D. W., Moran, J. D. II, & Sawyers, J. K. (1991). Creativity in early childhood classrooms. Washington, DC: NAEYC. Thompson, C. (Ed.). (1995). The visual arts and early childhood learning. Reston, VA: NAEA. Torrance, E. P. (1973). Is creativity teachable? Bloomington, IN: Phi Delta Kappa. Torrance, E. P. (1983). The importance of falling in love with something. Creative Child and Adult Quarterly, 8(2), 72–78.
Monks, L. (1999). The cat barked? New York: Dial Books. Most, B. (1998). Cock-a-doodle-moo. Orlando, FL: Red Wagon. Ormerod, J. (1999). Where did Josie go? New York: Lothrop. Prelutsky, J., & Smith L. (1998). Dr. Seuss: Hooray for diffendoofer day! New York: Alfred A. Knopf. Pyle, H. (1998). King stork. New York: Morrow Jr. Books. Rascha, C. (1998). Arlene sardine. Chicago: Orchard Books. Reasoner, C. (1996). Who pretends? New York: Price. Saltzberg, W. (1998).Where, oh, where’s my underwear? New York: Hyperion. Sharatt, N. (1998). A cheese and tomato spider. New York: Barron’s. Sis, P. (1999). Ship ahoy. New York: Greenwillow.
KINDERGARTEN–GRADE 3
BOOKS FOR CHILDREN PRESCHOOL Becker, J., & Mayer, A. (1992). Where does little puppy go? New York: Cartwheel. Bottomley, J. (1989). Today I am…a cat. Nashville, TN: Ideals. Bottomley, J. (1989). Today I am…an alligator. Nashville, TN: Ideals. Brown, C. (1999). Polka-bats and octupus slacks; 14 stories. Boston: Houghton Mifflin. Carter, D. A. (1998). Stinky bugs. New York: Simon & Schuster. Carter, D. A. (1998). Curious critters: A pop-up menagerie. New York: Little Simon. Cole, H. (1998). I took a walk. New York: Greenwillow. Cooper. E. (1999). Building. New York: Greenwillow. DiSalvi, R. (1999). A dog like Jack. New York: Holiday House. Donaldson, J. (1999). The gruffalo. New York:Dial Books. Egielski, R. (1987). Jazper. New York: HarperCollins. Gershator, P. (Reteller). (1999). Zzzng! Zzzng! Zzzng!. Chicago: Orchard Books. Henderson, K. (1994). Bounce bounce bounce. New York: Candlewick. Hoban, T. (1999). I wonder. New York: Harcourt. Inkpen, M. (1995). Wibbly pig can make a tent. Minneapolis, MN: Artist’s Press. Karas, G. B. (1998). The windy day. New York: Simon & Schuster. Kroll, V. (1998). Faraway drums. Boston: Little Brown. Lambert, J. (1994). Dotty the ladybug…Plays hide-andseek. Westport, CT: Joshua Morris Publishing Co. Layton, N. (1999). Smile if you’re human. New York: Dial Books.
Alexander, L. (1999). Gypsy pizka. New York: Dutton. Banks, K. (1999). Howie Bowles, secret agent. New York: Foster/Farrar. Barton. B. (1995). The wee little woman. New York: HarperCollins Children’s Books. Berry, J. (1999). Isn’t my name magical?: Sister and brother poem. New York: Simon & Schuster. Brenner, B. (1999). The boy who loved to draw: Benjamin West. New York: Hougton. Brodsky, J. (1999). Discovery. New York: Farrar, Straus Giroux Books. Browne, A. (1998). Willy the dreamer. New York: Candlewick. Browne, A. (1998). Voices in the park. New York: DK Publishing. Collins, P. L. (1992). I am an artist. Brookfield, CT: Millbrook. Daly, N. (1999). Jamela’s dress. New York: Farrar. Demi. (1980). Liang and the magic paintbrush. New York: Holt. Downes, B. (1997). Every little angel’s handbook. New York: Dial Books. Duffey, B. (1999). Alien for rent. New York: Delacorte. French, V., & Aliffe, A. (1997). Oh no, Anna! Atlanta, GA: Peachtree. Harrison, T. (1999). The dream collector. Buffalo, NY: Kids Can Press. Jackson, J. (1998). Big lips and hairy arms. New York: DK Publishing. Lamm, C. D. (1999). The prog frince: a mixed-up tale. New York: Orchard. Le Tord, B. (1995). A blue butterfly: A story about Claude Monet. New York: Doubleday. Leopold, N. C. (1999). Once I was…. New York: Putnam. Lester, J., & Cepeda, J. (1999). What a truly cook world? New York: Scholastic. Lewis, P. (1998). Doodle dandies: Poems that take shape. New York: Atheneum.
CHAPTER 1 The Concept of Creativity
Lowell, S. (1998). The bootmaker and the elves. New York: Orchard Books. Martin, J. B. (1999). Snowflake Bentley. Boston: Houghton Mifflin. Mayer, M. (1999). Iron John. New York: Morrow Junior Books. McDonald, M. (1999). The night iguana left home. New York: Jackson/DK Ink. Micklethwait, L. (1993). A child’s book of art: great pictures, first words. New York: Dorling Kindersley. Milgrim, D. (1998). Cows can’t fly. New York: Viking. Nicholson, N. B. (1998). Little girl in a red dress with cat and dog. New York: Viking. Nolen, J. (1998). Raising dragons. New York: Silver Shistle/Harcourt. Piers, H. (1999). Who’s in my bed? Tarrytown, NY: Cavendish. Priceman, M. (1999). Emeline at the circus. New York: Random House. Raschka, C. (1995). Elizabeth imagined an iceberg. New York: Orchard Books. Roche, D. (1998). Art around the world: Loo-loo, boo, and more art you can do. Boston: Houghton Mifflin. Say, A. (1996). Emma’s rug. Boston: Houghton/Lorraine. Seawall, M. (adapter). (1999). The green mist. Boston: Houghton Mifflin. Shannon, D. (1998). A bad case of stripes. New York: Scholastic. Simont, M. (1997). The goose that almost got cooked. New York: Scholastic. Spires, E. (1999). Riddle road: Puzzles and pictures. New York: McElderry. Stevenson, J. (1998). Mud flat April fool. New York: Greenwillow. Thereoux, P. (1999). Serefina under the circumstances. New York: Greenwillow. Waldman, N. (1999). The starry night. Honesdale, PA: Boyds Mill Press. Whybrow, I. (1999). Sammy and the dinosaurs. Chicago: Orchard. Wiesner, D. (1999). Sector 7. New York: Clarion. Willard, N. (1999). The tale I told Sasha. Boston: Little Brown. Williams, J. (1998). Design and create: Wheels and cars. Chatham, NJ: Steck-Vaughn. Wilson, A. (1999). April Wilson’s magpie magic: A tale of colorful mischief. New York: Dial. Winter, J. (1995). Cowboy Charlie: The story of Charles M. Russell. New York: Harcourt. Woodruff, E. (1998). Can you guess where we’re going? New York: Holiday House. Wynne-Jones, T. (1999). On tumbledown hill. Portland, OR: Red Deer Press.
GRADES 4–5 Avi. (1992). Man from the sky. New York: William C. Morrow & Co.
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Avi. (1996). Who was that masked man, anyway? New York: Orchard/Jackson. Blizzard, G. S. (1993). Come look with me: Animals in art. Charlottesville, VA: Thomasson. Blizzard, G. S. (1992). Come look with me: World of play. Charlottesville, VA: Thomasson. Bober, N. S. (1991). Marc Chagall: Painter of dreams. New York: Jewish Books. Bonafoux, P. (1992). A weekend with Rembrandt. New York: Rioli. Dubelaar, T. (1992). Looking for Vincent. Yardley, PA: Checkerboard. Esbensen, B. J. (1992). Who shrank my grandmother’s house?: Poems of discovery. New York: HarperCollins. Gan, G. (1995). Lives of notable Asian Americans: Arts, entertainment, sports. Jamaica, NY: Chelsea. George, D. (1995). Ruby: The painting pachyderm of the Phoeniz Zoo. New York: Delacorte. Gibson, A. (1990). Ellis and the hummick. Chicago: Faber Brothers. Goyallon, J. (1993). Drawing dinosaurs. New York: Sterling. Hossack, S. A. (1992). The flying chickens of Paradise Lane. La Grange, GA: Four Winds. Howard, N. S. (1996). Jacob Lawrence: American scenes, American struggles. Philadelphia, PA: Davis. Issacson, P. M. (1995). A short walk around the pyramids and through the world of art. New York: Knopf. Jones, T. (1992). Fantastic stories. New York: Viking. King, P., & Roundhill, C. (1997). Myths and legends. New York: Crabtree. Krull, K. (1995). Lives of the artists: Masterpieces, messes (and what the neighbors thought). New York: Harcourt. LaPierre, Y. (1994). Native American rock art: Messages from the past. Charlottesville, VA: Thomasson. L’Engle, M. (1990). The glorious impossible. New York: Simon & Schuster. Livingston, M. C. (1994). Flights of fancy and other poems. New York: Simon & Schuster. MacClintock, D. (1993). Animals observed: A look at animals in art. New York: Charles Scribner & Sons. Martin, T. (1996). Obee and Mungedeech. New York: Simon & Schuster. Masters, S. R. (1990). The secret life of Hubie Hartzel. Philadelphia: Lippincott. Mata, C., & Nodelman, P. (1995). Of two minds. New York: Simon & Schuster. McEwan, I. (1994). The daydreamer. New York: HarperCollins. Panzer, N. (Ed.). (1994). Celebrate America: In poetry and art. New York: Hyperion. Pearson, K. (1997). Awake and dreaming. New York: Viking. Plazy, G. (1993). A weekend with Rousseau. New York: Rizzoli. Porte, B. A. (1996). Black elephant with a brown ear (in Alabama). New York: Greenwillow.
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SECTION 1 Fostering Creativity and Aesthetics in Young Children
Powell, J. (1996). A history of France through art. Fresno, CA: Thomson. Reuter, B. (1991). Buster, the Sheikh of Hope Street. New York: Dutton. Richardson, J. (1997). Looking at pictures: An introduction to art for young people. New York: Abrams. Sachar, L. (1990). Sideways stories from Wayside School. New York: Random House. Scribner, V. (1994). Gopher draws conclusions. New York: Viking. Slote, A. (1989). Make-believe ball player. Philadelphia: Lippincott. Stolz, M. (1999). Casebook of a private (cat’s) eye. Chicago: Front Street/Cricket Books. Sullivan, C. (1996). Imaginary animals: Poetry and art for young people. New York: Abrams. Sullivan, M., Schwartz, D., & Weiss, D. (1996). The Native
Van Zandt, E. (1996). A history of the United States through art. Fresno, CA: Thomson. Waldron, A. (1992). Francisco Goya. New York: Abrams. Whipple, L. (1994). Celebrating America: A collection of poems and images of the American spirit. New York: Philomel. Wick, W. (1999). Walter Wick’s optical tricks. New York: Scholastic. Wilkes, S. (1995). One day we had to run! Refugee chil-
dren tell their stories in words and paintings.
American look book: Art and activities from the Brooklyn Museum. New York: New Press. Taylor, G. (1996). Imagination in art. Homes Beach, FL:
Brookfield, CT: Millbrook. Wilkinson, P., & Dineen, J. (1998). Art and technology through the ages. Jamaica, NY: Chelsea. Williams, H. (1992). Stories in art. Brookfield, CT: Millbrook. Willis, M. S. (1998). The secret powers of Marco. New York: HarperCollins. Woolf, F. (1993). Picture this century: An introduction to twentieth-century art. New York: Doubleday. Zotti, E. (1993). Know it all. New York: Ballantine.
Cavendish. Thomason, P., & Moore, B. (1997). The nine-ton cat: Behind the scenes at an art museum. Boston: Houghton Mifflin. Turner, R. M. (1993). Frido Kahlo. Boston: Little Brown. Turner, R. M. (1992) Mary Cassatt. Boston: Little Brown.
For additional creative activity resources, visit our Web site at www.EarlyChildEd.delmar.com.
PROMOTING CREATIVITY
OBJECTIVES After studying this chapter, you should be able to: 1. Describe the relationship between creativity and the curriculum. 2. Describe the role of play and exploration in promoting creativity. 3. Demonstrate four questioning strategies to encourage creative thinking in young children. 4. List three questions to consider when modifying the curriculum to encourage creative thinking.
C
reative thinking is not a station one arrives at, but a means of traveling. Creativity is fun. Being creative, feeling creative, and experiencing creativity is fun. Learning is more fun for children in settings where teachers and children recognize and understand the process of creative thinking. Incorporating creative thinking into all areas of the curriculum contributes to a young child’s positive attitude toward learning. As one student teacher commented, “I used to think that if children were having too much fun they couldn’t be learning. Now I understand how they are learning in a more effective way.” This unit addresses the relationship of creativity and the classroom environment, providing guidelines for encouraging creative thinking in the early childhood program throughout the day. In subsequent units, the same emphasis on creativity is applied to specific curriculum areas. Creativity is an integral part of each day; it may be seen during circle time, reading time, and lunchtime— it is not limited to art, music, creative movement, or dra-
matic play. Creativity, the curriculum, and the overall learning environment should not be at odds with each other; they should all complement each other (Tegano, May, Lookabaugh, & Burdette, 1991). Children need knowledge and skills to be creative—the curriculum outlines what they need to learn; and this unit will help you understand how to attain these goals. Throughout this unit, keep in mind that creative thinking is contagious—from teacher to child, from child to teacher, and also from child to child and teacher to teacher.
PROMOTING CREATIVITY IN THE CURRICULUM Young children need knowledge and skills to express their creative potential. Knowledge and skills are necessary before creative potential can have true meaning (Amabile, 1983; Barron, 1988). Children cannot develop high-level creative thinking skills without the basic
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SECTION 1 Fostering Creativity and Aesthetics in Young Children
and skills for children, while at the same time providing an environment that encourages creative thinking in the use of the knowledge and skills. The curriculum is the guide by which teachers determine what will be presented to children. Creativity is fostered according to how the curriculum is presented to the child (Tegano & Burdette, 1991). Perhaps the greatest challenge for all teachers is to help preserve the sense of wonder that lives within the hearts of those who are very young.
FIGURE 2–1
A child who meets with her unquestionable acceptance of her unique approach to the world feels safe expressing her creativity.
knowledge and skills of a particular area, in the same way that a great chef must develop basic culinary skills before creating the gourmet recipe. The curriculum is the teacher’s choice of what knowledge and skills are important and also developmentally appropriate for a particular group of children (Bredekamp, 1997; Katz & Chard, 1989). An example of the need for a knowledge base emerged in the early pilot testing of a measure of creative potential for young children (Moran et al., 1985). The researchers were trying to adapt the classic “uses” task for preschool children. In this task, the children are asked to name all the “uses” they can think of for a common item. The number of original (i.e., unusual) answers serves as one measure of creativity (Wallach & Kogan, 1965; Torrance, 1962). The researchers were puzzled when a group of preschool children could think of only a few uses for common objects such as a clothes hanger and a table knife. The researchers realized that the reason for the limited response was that the children had little or no knowledge and skill in the use of clothes hangers and table knives. In fact, most preschool children are not allowed to use these items. Knowledge and skills, then, are a prerequisite for creativity. Later research came up with better results when the children were asked to think of all the ways to use a box and paper, items about which the children had a working knowledge (Moran et al.). As Barron (1988) asserts, creativity evolves from a knowledge base— without knowledge, there is no creation. Thus, one important goal for the early childhood teacher is to provide an adequate base of knowledge
PROMOTING CREATIVITY THROUGH PLAY AND EXPLORATION Let’s take a look at a kindergarten classroom where computers are available and observe the process of exploration as it leads into play. At first the computer is novel and children engage in random punching of keys—exploring what the keys can do. This leads to the eventual realization that specific keys have specific uses. This process of exploring the computer to discover what it can do may take several months, depending on the frequency of the child’s exposure to the computer. When the child has gained an understanding of what the computer can do, she may move on to another question: “What can I do with the computer?”
FIGURE 2–2
Dress-up games encourage children’s creativity.
CHAPTER 2 Promoting Creativity
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Right-brained Children
I have always found children who “marched to a different drummer” a joy and a challenge to work with. They make me re-examine my teaching methods and open up my mind to alternate views. These children approach life and learning in a truly unique manner. One specific group of these special children has been named right-brained (or “alpha”) children. When we talk about a right-brained or a left-brained person we are referring to learning preferences based on functional differences between the hemispheres (sides) of the brain. Right-brained or “alpha” children are those whose right hemisphere of the brain is dominant in their learning process. This is in contrast to the majority of children, whose left hemisphere is dominant in their learning style. As we will see later in this section, each hemisphere of the brain has distinctly different strengths and behavioral characteristics. All of us use both hemispheres of the brain, but we may use one side more than the other. For instance, you might have a dominant right hemisphere, which simply means that it is your preferred or stronger hemisphere. It is the one in which you tend to process first most of the information you receive. That does not mean you don’t use your left hemisphere. You may use your right hemisphere 60% of the time and your left hemisphere 40%. Similarly, when we talk about right-brained or left-brained children, we do not mean they use only one hemisphere but simply that they use one hemisphere to a greater extent than the other. The right and left brain hemispheres have specialized thinking characteristics. They do not approach life in the same way. The left hemisphere approach to life is part-to-whole. It sequences, puts things in order, and is logical. The right hemisphere learns whole-to-part. It does not sequence; it does not put things in order; it looks at things in an overall way or holistically. Let’s consider specific skills and in which hemisphere that skill is best developed.
LEFT HEMISPHERE The skills best developed in this side of the brain are handwriting, understanding symbols, language, reading, and phonics. Other general skills best developed here are locating details and facts, talking and reciting, following directions, listening and auditory association. All of these skills children must exercise on a day-to-day basis in school. We give children symbols; we stress reading, language, phonics. We ask for details; we insist upon directions being followed, and mostly, we talk at children. In short, most of our school curriculum is left-brained. We teach to the child who has a dominant left brain.
RIGHT HEMISPHERE In the right hemisphere is a whole other set of skills. The right hemisphere has the ability to recognize and process nonverbal sounds. It also displays a greater ability to communicate using body language. Although the motor cortex is in both hemispheres, the ability to make judgments based on the relationship of our bodies to space (needed in sports, creative movement, and dance for instance) is basically centered in the right hemisphere. The ability to recognize, draw, and deal with shapes and patterns, as well as geometric figures, lies in the right hemisphere. This involves the ability to distinguish between different colors and hues, as well as the ability to visualize in color. Singing and music are right hemisphere activities. Creative art is also in debt to the right hemisphere. While many left-brained children are quite good in art, the “art” they make is structured; it must come out a certain way. They are most comfortable with models and a predictable outcome. Their pictures, or the things they create, are drawings made for Mother’s Day or turkeys drawn for Thanksgiving. Left-hemisphered children are good at other-directed art. (Continued)
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THINK ABOUT IT...(Continued) Right-hemisphered children create “mystery” pictures. They show the pictures to you but they aren’t quite sure what you are looking at until they start talking about it. For example, they may show raindrops falling and the sun shining at the same time. After listening to a story, when you ask right-brained children what they heard, they can retell the story in their own words without any difficulty. However, they are so creative that they usually add their own details and ending. You think they are exaggerating and they may be, in adult terms. But in their terms, they are simply being what they are. They change stories, add details, and alter endings to meet their emotional needs. Feelings and emotions appear to be most dominant in the right hemisphere. A further way to understand the right-brained child is by the behavioral characteristics associated with this group of children. While not all right-brained children will display all of these characteristics, you will find many of them easily recognizable in certain right-brained children. The following is just a sampling of rightbrained behavioral characteristics. Right-brained children: ■ appear to daydream. ■ talk in phrases or leave words out when talking. ■ have difficulty following directions. ■ make faces or use other forms of nonverbal communication. ■ display greater-than-average fine motor problems (cutting, pasting, and so on) when asked to conform or do structured tasks. Fine motor problems rarely appear when children are doing something they have selected. ■ are able to recall places and events but have difficulty recalling symbolic representations such as names, letters, and numbers. ■ are on the move most of the time. ■ like to work partway out of their chairs or standing up. ■ like to take things apart and put them back together again. ■ are much messier than other children. ■ like to touch, trip, and poke other children. ■ display impulsive behavior. ■ get lost coming and going, even from familiar places such as the classroom. ■ may forget what they started out to do. ■ will give the right answer to a question, but can’t tell you where it came from. ■ often give responses unrelated to what is being discussed. ■ may be leaders in the group. ■ may chew their tongues while working. Now, armed with all of this information on right- and left-brained children, you need to reflect on your own work with children and ask yourself if your curriculum is directed toward only one type of learner. Are you in tune with the right-brained learners? You may find it helpful to go to the library and take out books with specific curricular ideas for right-brained children. At the very least, you need to be aware of yet another way in which each young child is uniquely different (Vitale, 1982).
Equipped with the skills gained through exploration (using a mouse, for example), the child truly begins to play with the computer. Here again, it is important for the child to have basic knowledge of what a computer can do and the skills to operate it. But young children also need to explore the
computer before any more formal experiences take place. Then, after they have acquired knowledge and skills, they can use the computer creatively. As children explore and play with materials in the environment, they are also in a sense “shaping the brain” (Goleman, 1995). Researchers on the human
CHAPTER 2 Promoting Creativity
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brain make the point that “experience, particularly in childhood, sculpts the brain” (Goleman, 1995, p. 224). Therefore, the opportunities to learn actively in an environment provided throughout life and particularly in the early years, help to create us as unique individuals. Another researcher put it this way: “Challenge and interaction (in the environment) are essential.” (Abbott, 1997, p. 8). Passive observation in the early childhood program is never enough. As the ancient Chinese proverb states, “Tell me and I forget. Show me and I remember. Let me do and I understand.” Thus, the role of exploration and play is central to the development of creativity—at all ages
MODIFYING CURRICULUM TO PROMOTE CREATIVITY Curriculum may be viewed as an outline of knowledge and skills to be learned, rather than a recipe for how they must be taught. The term “learn” implies that exploration and play are part of the process; the term “recipe” denotes a careful following of steps in a specific order and amount to come up with one precise product. As we know, young children are not all the same, so differing amounts and various combinations of ingredients are necessary for each child. Each child learns the same knowledge and skills in a unique way; therefore the recipe is continually modified. Keep in mind that developmental needs serve as a guide to the sequence in which all concepts are introduced. Consider these questions when modifying curriculum to encourage creative thinking: 1. Is the content/concept developmentally appropriate for young children? Will the learning allow the children to be both physically and mentally active, to be engaged in active rather than passive activities (Bredekamp, 1997)? 2. Are the children truly interested in the content? Is the content “relevant, engaging, and meaningful to the children themselves” (Bredekamp, 1987, p. 64)? Are they actively involved in choosing the materials (Amabile, 1983)? 3. Are materials provided for the children to explore and think about (Bredekamp, 1987)? What is the level of structure of the activity? How can the structure of the activity be modified to meet the needs of individual children (Tegano et al., 1989)? 4. Does the suggested method of teaching provide opportunities for divergent thinking? Is adequate time planned for exploration and play (Tegano & Burdette 1991; Tegano, May, Lookabaugh, &
FIGURE 2–3
Let the child set the pace in creative activities.
Burdette, 1991)? Does the activity encourage children to be curious (Griffing, Clark, & Johnson, 1988)? Does the activity allow playful, fantasy-oriented engagement? Does the activity provide opportunities for children to take the initiative? Are the children likely to develop confidence in their abilities to find and solve problems? 5. Are there opportunities for children to interact and communicate with other children and adults? Is there an atmosphere of acceptance by other children and adults? Are judgment and evaluation deferred so that ideas have time to be stretched, combined, and embellished (Parnes et al., 1977; Treffinger & Huber, 1975)? INTEGRATED CURRICULUM AND CREATIVITY The curriculum that encourages creativity the most in young children is an integrated, whole curriculum. In an integrated curriculum the artificial divisions among content areas are reduced. While many teachers find it convenient to think about what the child will learn as separate categories of information, the curriculum is not designed in that way. Most often an integrated curriculum is designed around a unit of study, centered around a specific theme or project. The unit of study contains a coordinated series of learning activities planned around a
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SECTION 1 Fostering Creativity and Aesthetics in Young Children
explore the idea of neighborhood and community by reading books, hearing stories, drawing and painting for a community mural, and planning and preparing foods from their neighborhood and community. In this broad approach to learning, they are able to express themselves creatively in many areas and not just in the area of the arts.
PROMOTING CREATIVITY THROUGH POSITIVE ACCEPTANCE
FIGURE 2–4
Given appropriate, open-ended materials, children know how to create their own fun.
broad topic that will involve the whole group. A unit in an integrated curriculum will involve all of the content areas (reading, math, art, music, social studies, etc.) Integrated curriculum units provide the topics and framework for planning activities for children. The length of time for the unit may vary, taking weeks or months. The amount of time depends on the topic and the interests of the children. In an integrated curriculum, children are able to experience learning as a whole. For example, they can
Adults who work with young children are in an especially crucial position to foster each child’s creativity. In the day-to-day experiences in early childhood settings, as young children actively explore their world, adults’ attitudes clearly transmit their feelings to the child. A child who meets with unquestionable acceptance of her unique approach to the world will feel safe in expressing her creativity, whatever the activity or situation. The following are guidelines on how to help transmit this positive acceptance to children, which in turn fosters creativity in any situation. ■ Openly demonstrate to young children that there is value in their curiosity, exploration, and original behavior. ■ Allow the children to go at their own pace when they are doing an activity which excites and interests them. ■ Let children stay with what they are making until they feel it’s done. ■ Let children figure out their own ways of doing things if they prefer to do so.
Cherishing Each Child
Creativity thrives in an environment that cherishes the individual. Each person in such an environment feels special. I’ve used this idea at the beginning of the program year to encourage this “special” feeling in each child. On my classroom door, I first put up a big sign that said “Special Person.” I waited for the children’s questions as to what it said. I read them the two words, pointing to each as I said it. Some children imitated me and “read” the sign as well. I kept up the large sign for a week, arousing the children’s natural curiosity. They all eventually asked me who was the special person? I told them they would all know the answer on the next Monday morning. When the children arrived on that Monday morning, they each saw themselves reflected in a mirror I had attached to the door under the title “Special Person.” Each child was indeed a “special person” that day and every day of the year in my room.
CHAPTER 2 Promoting Creativity
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■ Keep the atmosphere relaxed. ■ Encourage guessing, especially when the answers make good sense. WORKING WITH OLDER CHILDREN In the upper elementary grades, teachers have an even greater challenge to promote creativity since the curriculum often dominates the program. There are often state level guidelines for what to teach, at what level, with specific books and materials. Even in this situation, you can encourage creativity in your classroom. Here are some suggestions to help you get started. To encourage creativity with older children: ■ Use tangible rewards (stickers, prizes) as seldom as possible; instead, encourage children’s own pride in the work they have done. ■ Avoid setting up competitive situations for children. ■ Downplay your evaluation of children’s work; instead, lead them to become more proficient at recognizing their own strengths and weaknesses. ■ Encourage children to monitor their own work, rather than to rely on your surveillance of them. ■ Whenever possible, give children choices about what activities they do and about how to do those activities. ■ Make intrinsic (internal) motivation a conscious factor of your discussions with children. Encourage them to become aware of their own special interests and to take their focus off the extrinsic (external rewards). ■ In order to build children’s intrinsic (internal) motivation, help them build their self-esteem and help them focus on and appreciate their own unique talents and strengths. ■ As much as possible, encourage children to become active, independent learners rather than to rely on you for constant direction. Encourage them to take confident control of their own learning process. ■ Give children ample opportunities for free play with various materials, and allow them to engage in fantasy whenever possible. ■ In any way you can, show children that you value creativity—that not only do you allow it, but you also engage in it yourself. ■ Whenever you can, show your students that you are an intrinsically motivated adult who enjoys thinking creatively. Just the way a question is phrased or asked sets the stage for creative replies. For example the question, “Describe (or tell me about) the sky . . . “would certainly get different answers than “What color is the sky?” In
FIGURE 2–5
Young children actively explore their world in day-to-day experiences in early childhood settings.
the first, more open-ended (divergent) question, children are encouraged to share their personal feelings and experiences about the sky. This might be color or cloud shapes, or even how jets, birds, and helicopters can fill it at times. The second question is phrased in such a way that a one-word (convergent) reply would do. Or even worse, it may seem to children that there is one and only one correct answer! In asking questions, then, a teacher can foster children’s creativity. Let us now consider more specific examples of activities that focus on creative questioning.
CREATIVE QUESTIONING FOR CHILDREN The activities that follow suggest various ways of asking questions and are designed to draw out the creative potential in young children. Activities that deal directly with specific art forms and media are found in later sections of this book.
1. Making Things Better with Your Imagination. One way to help children think more creatively is to get them to “make things better with their imagination.” Ask children to change things to make them the way they would like them to be. Here are some examples of questions of this type. ■ What would taste better if it were sweeter? ■ What would be nicer if it were smaller? ■ What would be more fun if it were faster? ■ What would be better if it were quieter?
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■ What would be more exciting if it went backwards? ■ What would be happier if it were bigger?
When doing this exercise, the children should be asked for reasons for their guesses. It makes it more fun and a better learning experience for the children.
2. Using Other Senses. Young children can stretch their creative talents by using their senses in unusual ways. For example, children may be asked to close their eyes and guess what has been placed in their hands. (Use a piece of foam rubber, a small rock, a grape, a piece of sandpaper, etc.) Another approach is to have the children close their eyes and guess what they hear. (Use sounds like shuffling cards, jingling coins, rubbing sandpaper, or ripping paper.)
3. Divergent Thinking Questions. Any time children are asked a question requiring a variety of answers you are encouraging their creative thinking skills. Here are some examples using the concept of water. ■ How can you use water? ■ What floats in water? ■ How does water help us?
Brain Research and the Creative Curriculum
Dan Goleman (1995) explained in his book Emotional Intelligence that people have two minds—a thinking mind and a feeling mind. These two minds work together, and sometimes against one another, in determining how we learn and how creative we become. Based on his research, he explains that the emotional brain is the first to receive input, and therefore is able to react first, before the thinking brain. This means that while we are still thinking about the logical response we should make, our emotional brain is already providing an emotional response. For example, your teacher announces a pop quiz. Your first response is emotional…“Oh, no, I’m not prepared.” Or it may be, “Great, I can ‘ace’ it!”. The logical response follows as your mind quickly goes over the information you think will be on the quiz. Emotion, then, plays an important role in how we learn. Goleman indicated that students are more likely to recall and use information when it has an emotional context, i.e., when feelings are involved. In other words, our brains are better able to remember a concept, if the concept is learned in an emotional setting. This means that teachers of art (or any subject) should liven up their classrooms by making lessons engaging, exciting; the classroom should be a stimulating place to be. For example, classroom simulations and role-playing activities enhance learning (and creativity) because they tie curricular memories to the kinds of real-life emotional contexts in which they will later be used. According to researchers of the human brain, to best optimize brain growth, teachers need to plan activities that involve as many senses as possible. When objects and events are recognized by several senses (e.g., seeing, hearing, touching, tasting) they are stored in several inter-related memory networks (Sylwester 1995). This same researcher goes on to state, “Such emotional, multi-sensory school activities as games, role-playing, simulations and arts experiences can create powerful memories” (Sylwester, p. 97). Thus, while it may be impossible to use all the senses in each area of teaching, the more senses incorporated into each lesson, the more likely it is that the concept will be remembered and later retrieved. Finally, recent brain research supports the importance of self-direction in learning (Sylwester). From the research, it is apparent that it isn’t enough for students to be in a stimulating environment—they need to help create it and directly interact with it. They need to have many opportunities to tell their stories, not just listen to the teacher’s stories. Formal schooling, thus, must start a process through which students are progressively weaned from their dependence on teachers and institutions and grow the confidence to manage their own learning. Therefore, it should be your goal as an early childhood teacher to facilitate the growth of children to become their own teachers. When a student takes ownership by directing his or her learning in terms of what is personally meaningful, it is much more likely the student will be able to store the concept in memory and then retrieve the concept for later use.
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■ Why is cold water cold? Hot water hot? ■ What are the different colors that water can be? Why? ■ What makes water rain? What makes it stop? ■ What always stays underwater? Divergent thinking questions using concepts such as sand, ice, smoke, cars, and similar topics are fun for children. They also encourage openness and flexibility of thinking.
4. What-Would-Happen-If Technique. The “What-would-happen-if?” technique has been used successfully by many teachers of young children to spark good thinking-and-doing sessions designed to ignite imaginations. Some of the following questions may be used. ■ What would happen if all the trees in the world were blue? ■ What would happen if everyone looked alike? ■ What would happen if all the cars were gone? ■ What would happen if everybody wore the same clothes? ■ What would happen if every vegetable tasted like chocolate? ■ What would happen if there were no more clocks or watches? ■ What would happen if you could fly?
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5. In How Many Different Ways. Another type of question that extends a child’s creative thinking is one that begins, “In how many different ways . . . ?” A few examples are given to add to one’s own ideas. ■ In how many different ways could a spoon be used? ■ In how many different ways could a button be used? ■ In how many different ways could a string be used? ■ In what new ways could we use this? How could it be modified to fit a new use? All of these questioning strategies are intended to help an adult encourage creativity in young children. Children may also generate these types of questions once they have been modeled for them. Often, the use of these strategies is enough to begin a long-running and positive creative experience for the child as well as the teacher. They are limited only by the user’s imagination.
MOTIVATING SKILLS FOR TEACHERS Some children need help in getting started. The fact that the activity is labeled “creative” does not necessarily make the child “ready to go.” A child may be feeling restless, or tired, or may feel like doing something else. All teachers, even those with good ideas, face this problem. There are several ways to help children become motivated for the creative process.
Physical needs. Make sure children are rested and physically fit. Sleepy, hungry, or sick children cannot care about creativity. Their physical needs must be met before such learning can be appealing. Interests. Try to find out, and then use, what naturally interests the child. Children not only want to do things they like to do, they want to be successful at them. Whenever children feel that they will succeed in a task, they are generally much more willing to get involved. Parents may be good resources for determining the child’s interests.
Friends. Permit children to work with their friends. This does not mean all the time. However, some teachers avoid putting children who are friends together in working situations. They worry that these children will only “fool around” or disturb others. When this does happen, one should question the task at hand, since it is obviously not keeping the children’s interest. FIGURE 2–6
Young children are happiest when they can be their creative selves.
Activities for fun. Allow the activity to be fun for the child. Notice the use of the word “allow.” Children
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know how to have their own fun. They do not need anyone to make it for them. Encourage child-initiated activities and self-selection of creative materials, and emphasize voluntary participation of the children in the activities presented. Teachers are giving children opportunities for fun if they honestly can answer “yes” to these questions: ■ Is the activity exciting? ■ Is the activity in a free setting? ■ Can the children imagine in it? ■ Can the children play at it? ■ Is there a gamelike quality to it? ■ Are judgments avoided? ■ Is competition deemphasized? ■ Will there be something to laugh about?
Goals.
Permit children to set and reach goals. Most of the excitement in achieving a goal is in reaching for it. Children should be given opportunities to plan projects. They should be allowed to get involved in activities that have something at the end for which they can strive. If the completion of an activity is not rewarding to a child, then the value of that activity is questionable.
Variety.
Vary the content and style of what the children can do. It is wise to consider not only what will be next, but how it will be done, too. For example, the teacher has the children sit and watch a movie, then they sit and draw, and then they sit and listen to a story. These are three different activities, but in each of them, the children are sitting. The content of the activity has changed, but not the style. This can, and does, become boring. Boring is definitely not creative. Habit is one of the worst enemies of creativity. Teachers who set the standard for valuing creativity by taking a chance on a “crazy” idea may positively influence the expression of creative potential by many children.
Challenge. Challenge the children. This means letting them know that what they are about to do is something that they might not be able to do, but that it will be exciting to try. An example of this is letting the children know that their next activity may be tricky, adventurous, or mysterious. It is the “bet you can’t do this” approach with the odds in favor of the children.
Reinforcement.
Reinforce the children. The basic need here is for something to come at the end of the activity that lets the children feel they would like to do it again. It could be the teacher’s smile, a compliment,
reaching the goal, hanging up the creation, sharing with a friend, or just finishing the activity. The main thing is that the children feel rewarded and satisfied for their efforts.
The children’s feelings.
Try to make certain the children feel good about what they are doing. Some teachers feel if a child is working intensely or learning, that is enough. This may not be so. The most important thing is not what the children are doing but how they feel about what they are doing. If children feel bad about themselves or an activity while doing it, this is a warning. If a child is made to continue the activity, it may be damaging, as it tends to lower self-concept and security. This means the teacher must be continually in touch with how the children are feeling. It is done by listening, watching, and being with the children in a manner that is open and caring.
SUMMARY Creativity is fun. Incorporating creativity into all areas of the curriculum contributes to a young child’s positive attitude toward learning. Teachers who encourage children to work at their own pace, and be self-directed in a relaxed, nonjudgmental atmosphere, are fostering creative development. Young children need knowledge and skills to express their creative potential. The curriculum is the guide by which early childhood teachers determine what will be presented to the children. Creativity is fostered according to how the curriculum is presented to the child. Questioning strategies encourage creativity in young children. Even with creative activities, there may be motivational difficulties with some children. Appealing to natural interests, giving expectancies of success, reinforcing, and challenging are a few of the many ways to help children get started and keep going. The learning environment needs to be a welcoming place. It must encourage exploration by its lack of strict time limits and stressful situations. It must be an environment that encourages children’s self-expression and sharing of ideas.
KEY TERMS emotional brain holistically integrated curriculum left-brained
right-brained tableaus thinking brain
CHAPTER 2 Promoting Creativity
LEARNING ACTIVITIES INVENTION DICE The creative process involves discovery and inventing. Here is a game that provides experience in “making something up” for the first time. Try it with a few friends. A. Materials needed: a single die, paper, pencil. B. Time allowed: unlimited. C. Task: Players should sit facing each other or in a circle. A dice point list with directions is posted so that everyone can see it.
DICE POINT LIST 1. Invent a story in which you experience a huge success. 2. Invent a story in which you experience a terrifying escape. 3. Invent a story in which you experience a moment of beauty. 4. Invent a story in which you experience tremendous fear. 5. Invent a story in which you experience great joy. 6. Invent a story in which you discover something important for the first time. Each person takes at least two turns (more can be decided upon) throwing the die. If the cube comes up 2, for example, the person who has thrown the die “invents” a story in which the person makes a terrifying escape, perhaps from some disaster. (This game asks one to “pull out all of the stops.” Surprise the listeners. Do not be afraid to exaggerate.) A. After having tried these exercises, think about what was done. Notice how necessary it was to “let go” while being creative. How important was it to feel free and relaxed while doing the exercises? What do these exercises make one aware of when attempting to work creatively with children? B. List three important things you learned as a result of doing these exercises. C. List three personal experiences that were challenging to you. Consider each and get in touch with the feelings experienced on those occasions. 1. Was there any chance of failure during these experiences?
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2. What was the motivation? 3. How did it feel to succeed? 4. What does this mean for working with young children? 5. How does it relate to creativity? 6. List some of your reactions. D. “Become” one of the following objects and dramatize its characteristics in class: Bicycle Wheelbarrow Rake Tire pump Hose Beach ball Describe how you felt. Would children’s dramatizations of these be similar? Different? Explain. E. Tape 10–15 minutes of classroom interactions in which you play an instructional role. Analyze your interaction in terms of the kinds of questions you used, the amount of time you waited for children to respond after asking a question, and the way you responded to children’s talk. F. Observe a classroom and note the creative experiences available to children. To what extent do the experiences offered seem to contribute to the development of creativity? Describe your impressions and suggestions for improvement for the curriculum in creative expression. G. Observe a teacher and describe the kinds of questions used, the amount of time allowed for children to answer, and the kinds of responses the teacher makes to the children. Do you think the communication you observed is effective in encouraging divergent thinking? Why or why not? H. Read the following scene and answer the questions following it: Peggy has been standing on top of the jumping board for quite a while. When the teacher walks over to her, Peggy says, “I want to jump off, but my feet might think I’m falling.” The teacher suggests she tell her feet she is jumping. Peggy bends down, looks at her feet, and announces, “I’m jumping.” Then she jumps off the board and lands on the ground with a smile. Questions: In what other situations might it be helpful for a teacher or parent to assist a child by using this creative approach? Under what circumstances would this type of response be inadvisable? Explain your answers.
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ACTIVITIES FOR CHILDREN WATER PLAY ACTIVITIES FOR CREATIVE THINKING Water play lends itself to the development of creative thinking in young children. A creative teacher can extend the play of young children by asking thoughtprovoking, divergent-thinking questions, posing simple problems to solve with water and play objects. Some of these divergent-thinking questions are: 1. Can you make the water in your squeeze bottle shoot out like the water from the hose? 2. Can you make a water shower for the plants? 3. Can you catch one drop of water on something? How many drops of water can you put on a jar lid? 4. Can we think of some words to talk about what we do with water? (sprinkle, pour, drip, trickle, drizzle, shower, deluge, torrent, splash, spank, stir, ripple, etc.) 5. Could we collect some rainwater? How? 6. How far can you make the water spray? 7. Can you make something look different by putting it in water? 8. Can you find some things that float (or sink) in the water? 9. Can you make a noise in the water? SPACE EXPLORERS When the children need a “stretch,” try one of these for fun. A. Have the children pretend they are on a planet in space where they are much heavier than on earth. They lift their arms as though their bodies were twice as heavy as they are. B. Have the children pretend they are on the moon, where their bodies are much lighter than on earth. They move body parts as though they were very light and walk as though their bodies were very light. C. Have the children select a familiar activity such as dancing, moving to rhythms, etc., and do it on the strange planet, using slow motion because of increased weight. DAY AT THE ZOO Before playing, help the children list the animals they know about. It would be helpful to write these down or draw the list in pictures if you are planning to go outside and play the game. Call out the animal’s names one at a time while the children act out what they think the animal looks like, walks like, sounds like, or whatever the child chooses to do.
CREATIVE JINGLES Make up jingles and rhymes any time during the day when the occasion arises. Jingles are word-tinglers: “Taffy is laughy” or “Mrs. Morgan plays the organ.” Begin with a line, and then let the child add her ideas: “I have a frog that is green. Some people think that she is ______________.” SCARVES Have scarves available for children to use, letting the scarf be anything they want as they move with it in response to music. Use a record or tape of instrumental music, or put on the radio. Children may move to the music, explaining, if they like, what they are doing. BECOMING AN OBJECT The teacher names inanimate objects. Children show with their bodies the shapes of the various objects. If the object is moved by an external force, they show with their bodies how the object would move. For instance, they may move like: 1. An orange being peeled. 2. A standing lamp being carried across the room. 3. A wall with a vine growing over it. 4. A paper clip being inserted on paper. 5. An ice cube melting. 6. A balloon with air coming out of it. 7. A cloud drifting through the sky, slowly changing shapes. 8. Smoke coming out of a chimney. 9. A twisted pin being thrust into paper. 10. A rubber ball bouncing along the ground. 11. A boat being tossed by the waves. 12. An arrow being shot through the air. 13. A steel bar being hammered into different shapes.
ACTIVITIES FOR OLDER CHILDREN (GRADES 4–5) TELLING TABLEAUS Tableaus are “frozen pictures” in which groups of students freeze or pose to act out a scene, a saying, a book title, etc. Before starting tableaus, discuss the skills necessary to be a good “freezer” (i.e., eyes staring blankly, no movement, frozen expression, etc.). Have students work in groups and give each group a caption (or better yet, have the students choose their own). Give students five to ten minutes (more, if needed) to develop their scene and practice their frozen poses. Don’t allow any props. To begin the performances, have the first group come to the front of the room. Turn off the lights and
CHAPTER 2 Promoting Creativity
have the other students close their eyes as the first group sets up their scene. When the scene is set, turn on the lights and have the students open their eyes. Then you read the caption, or have the class guess the title, whichever you feel is appropriate. Continue through the tableau scenes until all groups have had a chance to perform.
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Fairy tale day. Plan a Fairy Tale Day for the class, including activities for the entire day. This may include dressing up as your favorite character, eating fairy tale foods, playing games, and reading fairy tales.
Fairy tale rewrite. Rewrite a fairy tale from the perspective of one of the minor characters in the story. Read your story to the class.
TELEVISION DRAMA
Fairy tale game. Create a board game with a fairy
Pre-record a part of a television show that will interest your students. Students will be able to tell you which are their favorite shows if you aren’t sure. Show students a couple of minutes of the tape and then turn it off. Discuss the creativity the characters are using. Show more of the program and stop it at a critical point in the story. Have students work in pairs to brainstorm decisions the characters could make. Then turn the show back on to see what decision the character actually made and what happened as a result of that decision. Have your students identify if the characters came up with creative decisions and why or why not.
tale theme. Include all of the main parts of the story in the game. Let students play the game and give you feedback. Make any changes that would make it more fun to play.
FAIRY TALES—NOT JUST FANCY Fairy tales are naturally creative and full of fantasy. Use fairy tales for these activities for older children’s creative exercises.
Creative fairy tale puppet show. Create a puppet show to retell your favorite fairy tale to the class. Change one thing about the story and see if the class can guess the change.
Fairy tale rating. Read four fairy tales of your choice. Rate them in order of your most-to-least favorite and explain why you rated them as you did. Using your favorite fairy tale, write a short review explaining why everyone should read it. Fairy tale journal. Pretend you have been put into one of the fairy tales, and in journal form discuss the events and characters you meet. Discuss what you like and dislike about the characters. Include at least eight entries. Fairy tale logic. Choose a song that you think tells a story similar to one of the fairy tales you’ve read, and then write a short essay explaining why you chose this song and why it relates to your fairy tale.
Fairy tale music. Compose a song that tells the story of one of the fairy tales. Perform it for a group of students, and have them guess which fairy tale your song represents.
Fairy tale picture book. Create a picture book for your favorite fairy tale. Read it to another class.
CHAPTER REVIEW 1. Describe the relationship between creativity and the curriculum. 2. Describe the role of play and exploration in promoting creativity. 3. Demonstrate four questioning strategies that encourage creative thinking in the young child. 4. List three questions to consider when modifying curricula to encourage creative thinking.
REFERENCES Abbott, C. (1997, March). To be intelligent. Educational Leadership, 6–10. Amabile, T. (1983). The social psychology of creativity. New York: Springer-Verlag. Barron, F. (1988). Putting creativity to work. In R. J. Sternberg (Ed.), The nature of creativity. New York: Cambridge University Press. Bredekamp, S. (Ed.). (1997). Developmentally appropriate practice in early childhood programs serving birth through age 8 (Rev. ed.). Washington, DC: NAEYC. Goleman, D. (1995). Emotional intelligence. New York: Bantam Books. Griffing, P., Clark, P., & Johnson, L. (1988). The relationship of spontaneous classroom play and teacher ratings of curiosity to tested curiosity in preschool children. Paper presented at the meeting of the American Educational Research Association, New Orleans. Katz L., & Chard, S. (1989). Engaging children’s minds: The project approach. New York: Ablex. Moran, J. D., III, Milgram, R., Sawyers, J. K., & Fu, V. R. (1985). Original thinking in preschool children. Child Development, 54, 921–26. Parnes, S., Noller, R., & Biondi, A. (1977). Guide to creative reaction. New York: Scribner’s. Slywester, R. (1995). A celebration of neurons: An educator’s guide to the human brain. Alexandria, VA: Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development.
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Tegano, D., Sawyers, J. K., & Moran, J. D. III. (1989). Play and problem-solving: A new look at the teacher’s role. Childhood Education, 66, 92–97. Tegano, D., May, G., Lookabaugh, S., & Burdette, M. (1991). [Quality of teacher interactions in relation to creativity.] Unpublished data. Tegano, D. W., & Burdette, M. (1991). Length of activity period and play behaviors of preschool children. Journal of Research in Childhood Education, 5(2), 34–38. Torrance, E. P. (1962). Guiding creative talent. Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice-Hall. Treffinger, D. J., & Huber, J. (1975). Designing instruction in creative problem-solving: Preliminary objectives in learning hierarchies. Journal of Creative Behavior, 9, 26–66. Vitale, B. (1982). Unicorns are real. New York: Ablex. Wallach, M., & Kogan, N. (1965). Modes of thinking in young children: A study of creativity-intelligence distinction. New York: Holt, Rinehart, & Winston.
ADDITIONAL READINGS Armstrong, T. (1998). Awakening genius in the classroom. Alexandria, VA: Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development. Beaty, J. J. (1996). Preschool: Appropriate practices (2nd ed.). Ft. Worth, TX: Harcourt, Brace, Jovanovich. Dobbs, S. (1998). Learning in and through art: A guide to discipline-based art education. Los Angeles: The Getty Education Institute for the Arts. Engel, B. S. (1999). Considering children’s art: How and why to value their works. Washington, DC: NAEYC. Feldman, E. (1987). Varieties of visual experiences (3rd ed.). Englewood Cliff, NJ: Prentice-Hall, Inc. Feldman, E. (1997). Becoming human through age. Reston, VA: NAEA. Fineberg, J. (Ed.). (1998). Discovering child art. Princeton, NJ: Princeton University Press. Fowler, C. (1996). Strong arts, strong schools: The promising potential and shortsighted disregard of the arts in American schooling. New York: Oxford University Press. Hammond, M., Marantz, K., Packard, M., Shaw, J., & Wilson, M. (1994). The picturebook: Source and resource for art education. Reston, VA: NAEA. Jackson, P. W. (1998). John Dewey and the lessons of art. New Haven, CT: Yale University Press. Johnson, A. (1992). Art education: Elementary. Reston, VA: NAEA. Jones, L. S. (1998). Art information on the Internet. Phoenix, AZ: Oryx. Owocki, G. (1999). Literacy through play. New York: Heinemann. Runco, M. A., & Pritzker, S. R. (Eds.). (1999). Encyclopedia of creativity (Vols. 1 & 2). San Diego, CA: Academic Press.
Sacca, E. J., & Zimmerman, E. (1998). Women art educators IV: Her stories, our stories, future stories. Reston, VA: NAEA. Sanders, T. (1998). Strategic thinking and the new science: Planning in the midst of chaos, complexity and changes. New York: The Free Press. Schiller, M. (1995). An emergent art curriculum that fosters understanding. Young Children, 50(3), 33–38. Seefeldt, C. (1995). Art—A serious work. Young Children, 50(3), 39–45. Smith, R. (1995). Excellence II: The continuing quest in art education. Reston, VA: NAEA. Sylwester, R. (1995). A celebration of neurons: An educator’s guide to the human brain. Alexandria, VA: Assoc. for Supervision and Curriculum Development. Tegano, D. W. (1991). Creativity in early childhood classrooms. Washington, DC: NAEA Professional Library. Thompson, C. (Ed.). (1995). The visual arts and early childhood learning. Reston, VA: NAEA.
BOOKS FOR CHILDREN PRESCHOOL Bottner, B. (2000). Marsha is only a flower. New York: St. Martin’s Press. Burkett, L. (2000). Sarah and the art contest. Chicago: Moody Press. Cooke, T. (2000). I want a hat like that. New York: Random House. Cooper, E. (1999). Building. New York: Greenwillow. Crozon, A., & Lanchais, A. (1999). I can fly! San Francisco, CA: Chronicle Books. Daly-Weir, C. (2000). Happily ever after: Tangled tales. New York: Golden Books. Diaz, J. R. (1999). Colors pop-up fun. Santa Monica, CA: Intervisual Books. Egielski, R. (1987). Jazper. New York: HarperCollins. Ehlert, L., & Johnston, A. M. (2000). Market day: A story told with folk art. New York: Harcourt Brace & Co. Friedman, M. (2000). Get a clue! New York: Golden Books Gershator, P. (Reteller). (1999). Zzzng! Zzzng! Zzzng! Chicago: Orchard Books. Gibbons, G. (2000). The art box. New York: Holiday House. Gold-Dworkin, H., & Lee, D. G. (1999). Exploring light and color. New York: McGraw-Hill. Grimes, N. (1999). My man blue. New York: Dial. Kohl, M. A. F. (2000). The big messy art book: But easy to clean up! New York: Hyperion. Konigsburg, E. L. (1999). Samuel Todd’s book of great colors. New York: Simon & Schuster. Lambert, J., & Lambert, K. (2000). Colors. New York: Scholastic. Lee, K., Repchuk, C., & Hawke, R. (1999). Snappy little colors: Discover a rainbow of colors. Brookfield, CT: Millbrook.
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Most, B. (1998). Cock-a-doodle-moo. Orlando, FL: Red Wagon. Myers, W. D. (2000). The blues of flats brown. New York: Holiday House. Ormerod, J. (1999). Where did Josie go? New York: Lothrop. Rascha, C. (1999). Arlene Sardine. Chicago: Orchard Books. Reasoner, C. (1996). Who pretends? New York: Price. Ringgold, F. (1999). Cassie’s colorful day. New York: Crown Books. Scarry, R. (1999). Richard Scarry’s color book. New York: Random House. Snyder, M. (1999). Colors. Phoenix, AZ: Futech Interative Products. Strom, M. D. (1999). Rainbow Joe and me. New York: Lee & Low. Waldman, N. (1999). The starry night. Honesdale, PA: Boyds Mills Press. Wellington, M. (2000). Squeaking of art: The mice go to the museum. New York: Dutton/Plume. Wethered, P. (2000). Touchdown Mars! An abc adventure. New York: Penguin. Zoller, A. D. (2000). Fish colors. Watertown, MA: Charlesbridge Publishing.
KINDERGARTEN–GRADE 3 Browne, A. (1998). Voices in the park. New York: DK Publishing. Christelow, E. (1999). What do illustrators do? New York: Clarion Books. Collins, P. L. (1999). I’m an artist. Brookfield, CT: Millbrook. Daly, N. (1999). Jamela’s dress. New York: Farrar. French, V., & Ayliffe, A. (1997). Oh no, Anna! Atlanta, GA: Peachtree Publishers, Ltd. Gough-Cooper, J., & Caumont, J. (1999). Marcel Duchamp: A life in pictures. Boulder, CO: Atlas Press. Knutson, B. (2000). Colors of Ghana. New York: Lerner. Leopold, N. C. (1999). Once I was… New York: Putnam. LeTord, B. (1995). A blue butterfly: A story about Claude Monet. New York: Doubleday. Littlefield, H. (2000). Colors of India. New York: Lerner. Low, A. (1995). Young painter: The life and paintings of Wang Yan: China’s extraordinary young artist. Boston: Houghton Mifflin. Lowery, L. (1999). Pablo Picasso. New York: Lerner. Martin, J. B. (1999). Snowflake Bentley. Boston: Houghton Mifflin. Michlethwait, L. (1993). A child’s book of art: Great pictures, first words. New York: DK Publishers. Piers, H. (1999). Who’s in my bed? Homes Beach, FL: Cavendish. Priceman, M. (1999). Emeline at the circus. New York: Random House.
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Stevenson, J. (1998). Mud flat April fool. New York: Greenwillow. Waldman, N. (1999). The starry night. Honesdale, PA: Boyds Mills Press. Whybrow, I. (1999). Sammy and the dinosaurs. Chicago: Orchard. Willard, N. (1999). The tale I told Sasha. Boston: Little Brown. Wynne-Jones, T. (1999). On tumbledown hill. Portland, OR: Red Deer Press.
GRADES 4–5 Barrows, A. (1999). The artist’s friends. Minneapolis: Carolrhoda Books. Bedard, M. (1999). The clay ladies. Plattsburgh, NY: Tundra Books of Northern New York. Boehm, A. (1998). Jack in search of art. New York: Rinehart. Buchholz, Q., & Neumeyer, P. F. (1999). The collector of moments. New York: Farrar, Straus & Giroux. Bulla, C. C. (1998). The paint brush kid. New York: Random House. Clement, R. (1999). Frank’s great museum adventure. New York: HarperCollins. Covington, K. (2000). Creators: Artists, designers, craftswomen. Chatham, NJ: Raintree. Guarnieri, P. (1999). A boy named Giotto. New York: Farrar, Straus & Giroux. Laden, N. (1998). When Pigasso met Mootisse. San Francisco: Chronicle Books. Morrison, T. (1999). Civil War artist. Boston: Houghton Mifflin. Nunes, L. B. (1995). My friend the painter. New York: Harcourt. Pittman, H. C., & Raymond, V. (1998). Still-life stew. New York: Hyperion. Robishaw, S. (1999). Rosita and Sian search for a great work of art. Cooks, MI: Many Tracks Publishing. Rylant, C. (1998). The Van Gogh café. New York: Scholastic. Slate, J. (1999). Crossing the trestle. Homes Beach, FL: Cavendish. Vazquez, S. (1997). The school mural. New York: Raintree. Winter, J., & Winter, J. (1994). Diego. New York: HarperCollins. Worcester, D. E. (1998). Cowboy with a camera: Erwin E. Smith, cowboy photographer. Fort Worth, TX: Amon Carter Museum. Yep, L. (2000). The magic paintbrush. New York: HarperCollins.
For additional creative activity resources, visit our Web site at www.EarlyChildEd.delmar.com.
THE CONCEPT OF AESTHETICS OBJECTIVES After studying this chapter, you should be able to: 1. Define aesthetics. 2. List three things a teacher can do to help children develop their aesthetic sensitivity. 3. List five benefits of aesthetic sensitivity in children. 4. List at least three art elements to discuss with children.
T
he term aesthetics refers to an appreciation for beauty and a feeling of wonder. It is a sensibility that uses the imagination as well as the five senses. It is seeing beauty in a sunset, hearing rhythm in a rainfall, and loving the expression on a person’s face. Each person has an individual personal sense of what is or is not pleasing. Aesthetic experiences emphasize doing things for the pure joy of it. Although there can be, there does not have to be any practical purpose or reason. Thus, you may take a ride in a car to feel its power and enjoy the scenery rather than to visit someone or run an errand. In the same way, a child plays with blocks to feel their shapes and see them tumble rather than to build something. Young children benefit from aesthetic experiences. Children are fascinated by beauty. They love nature and enjoy creating, looking at, and talking about art. They express their feelings and ideas through language, song, expressive movement, music, and dance
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far more openly than adults. They are not yet hampered by the conventional labels used by adults to separate each art expression into pigeonholes. Young children experience the arts as a whole. They are creative, inquisitive, and delighted by art. It is interesting to note that creative adults involved in the arts are finally catching up with young children. On the contemporary arts scene, there is a striking movement toward multimedia artwork. Examples of this multimedia movement are walk-in sculpture environments, a mix of live dance and films, and a mix of art exhibitions with drama, where actors move into the audience to engage it in the drama. All of these are new ways adults are integrating the arts. This exciting development may be new for sophisticated adult arts, but it is a familiar approach for young children. For instance, in early childhood programs, it is a common occurrence to find young children singing original songs while they paint or moving their bodies rhythmically while playing with clay. Young children
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implies. Teachers who prefer that children see beauty as they themselves do are not encouraging a sense of aesthetics in children. They are fostering uniformity and obedience. Only children who choose and evaluate for themselves can truly develop their own aesthetic taste. Just as becoming literate is a basic goal of education, one of the key goals of all creative early childhood programs is to help young children develop the ability to speak freely of their own attitudes, feelings, and ideas about art. Each child has a right to a personal choice of beauty, joy, and wonder. Children gain an aesthetic sense by doing. This means sensing, feeling, and responding to things. It can be rolling a ball, smelling a flower, petting an animal, or hearing a story. Aesthetic development takes place in secure settings free of competition and adult judgment. FIGURE 3–1
Preferring something soft and cuddly is one way a child expresses his sense of aesthetics.
naturally and unself-consciously integrate the arts— weaving together graphic arts, movement, dance, drama, music, and poetry in their expressive activities. The capacity for aesthetics is a fundamental human characteristic. Infants sense with their whole bodies. They are open to all feelings; experience is not separated from thinking. A child’s aesthetic sense comes long before the ability to create. All of an infant’s experiences have an aesthetic component—preferring a soft satin-edged blanket, studying a bright mobile, or choosing a colorful toy. These choices are all statements of personal taste. As infants grow into toddlers, the desire to learn through taste, touch, and smell as well as through sight and sound grows, too. The capacity to make aesthetic choices continues to grow through preschool. Preschoolers’ ability to perceive, respond, and be sensitive becomes more obvious and more refined. They enjoy creating spontaneously with a wide variety of materials (Feeney & Moravcik, 1987). To develop an aesthetic sense in children, one must help them continuously find beauty and wonder in their world. This is any child’s potential. In fact, it is the potential of every human being. To create, invent, be joyful, sing, dance, love, and be amazed are possible for everyone. The purpose of aesthetic experiences is to help develop a full and rich life for the child. It does not matter whether an activity is useful for anything else. There does not have to be a product. Doing just for the sake of doing is enough. Teachers must be careful to allow for and encourage such motivation. Children sometimes see and say things to please adults; teachers must realize this and the power it
AESTHETICS AND THE QUALITY OF LEARNING Aesthetic learning means joining what one thinks with what one feels. Through art, ideas and feelings are expressed. People draw and sculpt to show their feelings about life. Art is important because it can deepen and enlarge understanding. All children cannot be great artists, but children can develop an aesthetic sense, an appreciation for art. Teachers can encourage the aesthetic sense in children in a variety of ways. For example, science activities lend themselves very well to beauty and artistic expression. Since children use their senses in learning, science exhibits with things like rocks, wood, and leaves can be placed in attractive displays for children to touch, smell, and explore with all of their senses.
FIGURE 3–2
When children are allowed freedom to choose and evaluate, they are developing their aesthetic sense.
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FIGURE 3–4
FIGURE 3–3
Being outside, enjoying the beauty of nature is a basic aesthetic experience.
They can experience with their senses artistic elements such as line, shape, pattern, color, and texture in these natural objects. Sensory awareness is nourished by teachers who help young children focus on the variations and contrasts in the environment: the feel and look of smooth bark and rippling rough bark, the heaviness of rock and the lightness of pumice stone, the feathery leaf and the leathery leaf, the slippery marble and the sticky tar. The rumble and roar of the subway train, the soft sound of leaves against a window pane, the loud clap of thunder—all these are opportunities for expression in the arts, poetry, sound, movement, and many other art forms (Lasky & Mukerji, 1980). The arts are developed best as a whole. After hearing a story, some children may want to act it out. Some may prefer to paint a picture about it. Others may wish to create a dance about it, and some may want to make the music for the dance. These activities can lead to others. There should be a constant exchange, not only among all the art activities, but among all subject areas. This prevents children from creating a false separation between work and play, art and learning, and thought and feeling. Art education specialists Colbert and Taunton (1992) published a paper on developmentally appropriate practices in art education for young children. The authors suggest that the following three major themes are evident in high-quality early art education:
A happy balance must be established between structured and nonstructured activities.
1. Children need many opportunities to create art. 2. Children need many opportunities to look at and talk about art. 3. Children need to become aware of art in their everyday lives (Colbert & Taunton, 1992). The second of the major themes present in highquality early art education is often neglected in an early childhood program, since many teachers feel inadequate in an art discussion. Yet, in contrast, most young children enjoy talking about art if they are given the opportunity (Schiller, 1995). The environment can be set up to encourage this type of aesthetic discussion by implementing the following suggestions: ■ In addition to the typical art center, include books about artists in the reading area (see chapter end for suggestions). ■ Include “real” art books in the reading and quiet areas of the room. These do not necessarily have to be children’s books, since young children will enjoy looking at artwork in any book. ■ Display fine-art prints on bulletin boards and walls so that children can easily see them. Be sure to change them regularly. If they are up too long, they will quickly fade into the background. (See chapter end for sources to purchase inexpensive art prints.) ■ Include art objects on the science table, where appropriate. Geodes, shards of pottery, and crystals are all good starting points. ■ Invite guest art educators into the classroom to show the children art objects to look at, touch, and talk about.
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Aesthetics—The Movement
Aesthetics was an actual movement in the art world, beginning in early 1800 and lasting the decade. In the art world, the term aesthetics was invented or adapted from Greek by the German philosopher, Baumgarten, whose work Aesthetica was published in 1750. In this particular work, the word was defined to mean the “science of the beautiful” or the “philosophy of taste.” The word was used with its opposite, “philistine,” which in this context meant “one lacking culture,” whose interests were bound by material and commonplace things as opposed to the high-minded spiritual and artistic values of the aesthetes. By 1880, the aesthetic movement in the arts was a well-established fact and the name itself part of everyday speech. In the center of the movement was a close-knit group of self-appointed “experts” who passed on to their followers standards of color, ornament, and form for all aspects of art. These standards were in direct opposition to the ornate Victorian style. The aesthetic movement preferred the simple and sensible over the ornate. One of the most influential figures of the whole movement was Oscar Wilde, who lectured and spread the word of the aesthetic movement. The famous painter, Whistler, was another supporter of the aesthetic movement (Aslin, 1969).
■ Give children an opportunity to choose their favorites from a selection of fine-art prints. ■ Display fine-art prints near the writing and art centers.
SUGGESTIONS FOR AESTHETIC EXPERIENCES WITH OLDER CHILDREN Children experience a developmental shift around ages 7–8 which allows them to deal with more abstract ideas (more information on this is in Chapter 9). At this point, older children are able to not only experience the arts aesthetically, but are able to begin discussing their own opinions, aesthetic tastes, and experiences. Thus, the teacher can engage children in grades 4–5 in discussions about what is art and why they consider something to be art or not. The following is an example of a combination 4th–5th grade class involved in this type of aesthetics discussion: In their unit on art and history, prints of the work of Civil War photographer Matthew Brady were displayed and discussed. The fact was brought up by the teacher that Brady frequently repositioned and rearranged bodies of dead soldiers and other objects in composing war scenes to be photographed. The teacher used this fact to encourage the students’ responses to her initial question,
FIGURE 3–5
Free periods throughout the day are important to a child’s aesthetic development.
“Is there anything about Brady’s practice that should disturb us?” The discussion led the students in many directions involving such issues as differences between “real” photographic art and “staged” art, and which was art
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in the truest sense. They also questioned the worth of Brady’s work in general, with students evaluating each in their own way. Some saw the work as “political” and of little artistic worth. Others saw it as an artist using his “props” just like any other artist does. One student compared it to a still life painting the class had seen earlier. Needless to say, this discussion led to a lot of research into Matthew Brady’s life and work. But more importantly, the discussion helped the students learn how to reflect upon and present their own opinions of art and to consider the views of others.
The previous example demonstrates the type of environment for older children in which questioning is valued. In such an environment students will feel comfortable raising questions about art and their reactions to it. Teachers of older children need to encourage rather than suppress discussion of aesthetic questions as they emerge. This is done by providing them the time and environment for art-related experiences and inquiry.
BENEFITS OF AESTHETIC SENSITIVITY An aesthetic sense does not mean “I see” or “I hear;” it means “I enjoy what I see” or “I like what I hear.” It means that the child is using taste or preference.
Suggestions for Aesthetic Enhancement of Environments
For young children, giving special attention to the environment can help develop their aesthetic sense. Here are some suggestions on how to enhance the environment to develop children’s aesthetic sense: Color—Bright colors will dominate a room and may detract from art and natural beauty. If there is a choice, select soft, light, neutral colors for walls and ceilings. Color-coordinate learning centers so that children begin to see them as wholes rather than as parts. Avoid having many different kinds of patterns in any one place—they can be distracting and overstimulating. Furnishings—Group similar furniture together. Keep colors natural and neutral to focus children’s attention on the learning materials on the shelves. When choosing furnishings, select natural wood rather than metal or plastic. If furniture must be painted, use one neutral color for everything so that there is greater flexibility in moving it from space to space. Periodically give children brushes and warm soapy water and let them scrub the furniture. Storage—Rotate materials on shelves rather than crowding them together. Crowded shelves look unattractive and are hard for children to maintain. Baskets make excellent, attractive storage containers. If storage tubs are used, put all of the same kind together on one shelf. If cardboard boxes are used for storage, cover them with plain-colored paper or paint them. Decoration—Mount and display children’s artwork. Provide artwork by fine artists and avoid garish, stereotyped posters. Make sure that much artwork (by both children and adult artists) is displayed at children’s eye level. Use shelf tops to display sculpture, plants, and items of natural beauty like shells, stones, and fish tanks. Avoid storing teachers’ materials on the tops of shelves. If there is no other choice, create a teacher “cubby” using a covered box or storage tub. Outdoors—Design or arrange play structures as extensions of nature rather than intrusions upon it. If possible, use natural materials like wood and hemp instead of painted metal, plastic, or fiberglass. Provide adequate storage to help maintain materials. Involve children, parents, and staff in keeping outdoor areas free of litter. Add small details like a garden or a rock arrangement to show that the outdoors also deserves attention and care. (Adapted with permission from the National Association of Young Children, S. Feeney and E. Moravcik, “A Thing of Beauty: Aesthetic Development in Young Children,” in Young Children, Sept., 1987, 11.)
CHAPTER 3 The Concept of Aesthetics
FIGURE 3–6
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Aesthetic development begins early in a child’s life as he expresses his personal preferences.
Aesthetic sensitivity is important for children because it improves the quality of learning and encourages the creative process. Aesthetic sensibility in children has many other benefits, too. ■ Children are more sensitive to problems because they have more insight into their world. This means they can be more helpful to other children and to adults. ■ Children are more likely to be self-learners because they are more sensitive to gaps in their knowledge. ■ Life is more exciting for children because they have the capacity to be puzzled and to be surprised. ■ Children are more tolerant because they learn that there are many possible ways of doing things. ■ Children are more independent because they are more open to their own thoughts. They are good questioners for the same reason. ■ Children can deal better with complexity because they do not expect to find one best answer.
AESTHETIC EXPERIENCES Aesthetic experiences for young children can take many forms. They can involve an appreciation of the beauty of nature, the rhythm and imagery of music or poetry, or the qualities of works of art. Far from being a specialized talent, the recognition of aesthetic qualities comes quite naturally to children. For instance, let us consider art appreciation. What adults have come to regard as strictly a “museum-type” experience—seeing and appreciating good artwork—is
FIGURE 3–7
Children benefit from their aesthetic sensitivity as it generates more insight into their lives.
an enjoyable experience for young children whose fear of the “intellectual” is not yet developed. Art appreciation can occur in the early childhood program through the combined experiences of learning to look at and learning to create visual arts. Introducing young children to art appreciation should be a series of pleasurable experiences with time to look, enjoy, comment, and raise questions. It is a time when children learn to “see” with their minds, as well as their eyes. They begin to feel with the painter, the sculptor, or the architect, and to explore their ideas and techniques. In the early childhood classroom, children are introduced to new experiences. Teachers have a responsibility to provide the very best that our culture has to offer by introducing a range of good art, not merely what is easiest or most familiar. Most children have plenty of exposure to cartoon characters, advertising art, and stereotyped, simplistic posters. These do not foster aesthetic development and are sometimes demeaning to children. Teachers often say, “children like them,” but the fact that children like something— for example, candy and staying up late at night—does not necessarily mean it is good for them. Children might never have seen a Van Gogh sunflower, a mother and child by Mary Cassatt, or a sculpture by Henry Moore. Yet, young children can learn to appreciate these, as well as arts and crafts from many cultures, if introduced to them in the early years. As one wellknown art educator put it:
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The foundations for art history need to be laid early. Get beautiful old objects into children’s hands so they can “experience” beauty . . . Learning art history starts at home. Browsing through family treasures, minding family history, and sharing these treasures in class . . . (Szekely, 1991, p. 48).
From such experiences, children also gradually learn the concepts of design (see Figure 3–8 on how to talk with children about this and other art elements). During group discussions, children should be encouraged to
Colors can be called by name or hue—red, scarlet, turquoise, magenta—that add richness to children’s experience. They can be pure—primary colors (red, blue, yellow), white, and black—or mixed. Different hues have temperature—coolness at the blue end of the spectrum and warmth at the red end. They have different degrees of intensity or saturation (brightness or dullness) and value (lightness or darkness). Colors change as they mix, are related to one another (orange is related to red), and appear to change when placed next to each other. Examples of things to say: Hue—I saw a lavender sunset last night. Intensity—The ball is bright red; the bricks are a duller red color. Temperature—The blue in your painting makes me feel icy. Value—The pale green reminds me of jade: it’s a soft, misty color. Relationship—My car looks orange next to the school bus, but yellow by the truck. Line is a part of every work of art. Every line in a piece of art has length, beginning, end, and direction (up/down, diagonal, side-to-side). Lines have relationships with one another and with other parts of the work. They can be separate, twined, parallel, or crossed. Examples of things to say: Kind—Michael’s socks have zig-zags; Thad’s have stripes. Direction—I see wide, heavy lines in the wallpaper. Length—Mary Ann filled her paper with short lines. Relationship—The paint strokes cross each other. Form or Shape in art is more than geometric shapes. Artists combine regular with irregular shapes. Some have names. All can be filled or empty, separate, connected, or overlapping. One shape may enclose another. When the boundaries are completed, the shape is closed; if uncompleted (like a U or a C) it is open. Three-dimensional
FIGURE 3–8
talk about the design qualities of a specific color, the movement of lines, the contrast of sizes and shapes, and the variety of textures. They should be helped to think and feel, as individuals, about a certain art object or piece of music. Their understanding of aesthetics, and their willingness and ability to discuss its concepts, will increase with experience. Fine art can stimulate discussions of these basic art elements. Georgia O’Keeffe’s Blue and Green Music is a good piece for color, line, shape, and design conversations. Owh! in San Pao, by Stuart Davis, is another excellent piece to stimulate young children’s interest in these same art elements of line, shape, color, and design.
shapes may be solid (like a ball) or incorporate empty space (like a tire). Empty and filled spaces have shape. Shapes can be large or small and be compared (bigger, smaller, rounder, more angular, etc.). Examples of things to say: Size—You used a necklace of tiny circles to make a pattern. Name—The ridge of the dragon’s back has triangles on it. Solidity—We can walk through the bead curtain. Relationship—Zach’s picture has a person on each side of the house. Open/Closed—Can you take one block away and open your structure? Space refers to the distance within or between aspects in artwork. It can be crowded, sparse, full, or empty, creating feelings of freedom or enclosure. Space can have balance with other forms. Boundaries, inclusion, and exclusion are spatial qualities. Space can be solid or permeable. Examples of things to say: Location—The birds are in the top corner of the picture. Boundaries—Some animals are inside the house and some are outside. Feeling—I feel free when I can see such a long way. Design is the organization of artwork. Children initially work without plan; as they gain experience they design. Design includes use of an element (like a circle) repeated or varied. The ways color, line, shape, and form are placed give the work a visual effect. Symmetry, balance, repetition, and alternation are design characteristics. Examples of things to say: Symmetry/Asymmetry—The wings of the butterfly mirror each other. Repetition—Every one is filled with circles. Alternation—There is a stripe after every heart. Variation—In all of your pictures you used different shades of red—each one a little different.
Talking with children about art elements. From “A Thing of Beauty: Aesthetic Development in Young Children,” by S. Feeney and E. Moravcik, Sept., 1987, Young Children, 11. Adapted with permission.
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Develop Your Own Aesthetic Sense
Teachers need to cultivate their own aesthetic sensitivity if they are going to help children develop theirs. And that’s not always easy! I always searched for something of beauty to inspire me, especially in the dreary days of seemingly endless midwestern winters. The following ideas helped boost my aesthetic sense, which in turn benefited the young children in my care. ■ The weekly purchase of a single, fresh flower (usually costing under $2), which I displayed on my desk in a small vase. It perked up my and the children’s spirits. ■ The purchase of a new set of brightly colored markers for my use. I made up my lesson plans in several gorgeous colors. I even used some metallic colors and glitter markers for a real spark! ■ An inexpensive prism, hung in a sunny window. The light designs cheered all our hearts. ■ A borrowed instant camera to take pictures of us in our everyday routine. I posted them all over the room. Our smiling faces couldn’t help but inspire us. ■ A wallpaper sample book gave me almost a year’s supply of placemats. Each week, each child had a new and different placemat for snack time. ■ The radio, tapes, or CD played during rest time for my pleasure. I chose the music that pleased me that particular day: pop, western, rock, rap, and hip-hop, classical.
It is important here to remember that any discussion with young children about artwork needs to follow the child’s natural interests. Consider the following experiences of an early childhood teacher on this point: My kindergarten–1st combination class was working with geometric shapes and patterns with their math teacher. In our class, for a related art experience, we explored the shapes and patterns of living things. I shared with them pictures of tigers, leopards, cheetahs, zebras, and giraffes, and we talked about the stripes and spots on these animals. When I spread out a particularly large picture of a zebra herd, one child exclaimed, “Too many stripes. I can’t see them.” "That’s just how the stripes help the zebras,” I responded. “The stripes confuse an animal like a lion that wants to eat the zebra but can’t see where to pounce. And the markings on animals help hide them, too.” Then, I arranged several pictures of tiger faces next to each other and we looked at the differences in their striped facial pattern. “Those differences are what makes each tiger unique and special,” I told them.
Next, I handed out paper and pencils so they could draw their own faces. When they were finished, we noticed how different we all are— eyes large or small, hair long or short. “We are all unique and special, just like the tigers,” I commented. I plan to display art prints of jungle animals by Henri Rousseau in the classroom. I also plan to put out some new dark greens, royal blue, and rich brown paints in the art center, much like the colors Rousseau favored in many of his works. We’ll see where this goes…
Aesthetic experiences for young children should be chosen according to their interests and level of understanding. Such details as dates and the social-political implications of a piece of art or music have no relevance for a child. Rather, a painting or a piece of music or a dance may appeal to them because of its familiar subject matter, its bold colors or rhythm, or its story. A variety of experiences in appreciation—paintings and sculpture, ballet and jazz dancing, marches and concertos—should be offered. Art appreciation also includes the development of an awareness of the aesthetic qualities of everyday man-made objects. Children are surrounded daily by an endless number of objects such as furniture, clothing, toys, buildings, and machines and countless images in films, television, newspapers, books, magazines, adver-
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Virtual Museum Trips
You don’t have to plan and execute a field trip to visit a museum. You can provide children opportunities to visit museums via museum Web sites. These “virtual” visits will spark their imagination and inspire them to learn more about art and artists. A list of some Web sites or contact points of some of the national children’s museums, along with their Web sites or contact points follows. Enjoy the trip! Smithsonian Institution
Children’s Discovery Museum of San Jose
Smithsonian Institution Building Room 153 Washington, D.C. 20560-0010 www.si.edu
180 Woz Way San Jose, CA 95110 www.cdm.org
International Children’s Art Museum The Virginia Discovery Museum 524 Main Street Charlottesville, VA 22902 www.vadm.org
World Wide Trade Center, Suite 103 San Francisco, CA 94111 www.sanfrancisco.sidewalk.com
Kohl Children’s Museum Hands On Children’s Museum Corner of 11th Avenue and Capital Way Olympia, WA www.hocm.org
165 Green Bay Road Wilmette, IL 60091 www.kohlchildrensmuseum.org
Children’s Museum of Manhattan Hudson Valley Children’s Museum 21 Burd Street Nyack, NY 10960 www.hvcm.org
Children’s Programs and Interactive Gallery from the California Museum of Photography 3824 Main Street Riverside, CA 92510 www.cmp.ucr.edu/Sundays
Canadian Children’s Museum Canadian Museum of Civilization P.O. Box 3100 Station B Hull, Quebec J8X 4H2 www.civilization.ca
tisements, and exhibits. Examples of good and bad design can be found in all areas of the environment. With guidance and experience, children will become more sensitive to their environment and eventually will develop more selective, even discriminating, taste.
SUMMARY Aesthetics is an appreciation for beauty and a feeling of wonder. The purpose of aesthetic experiences for children is to help them develop a full and rich life.
The Tisch Building 212 West 83rd Street New York, NY 10024 www.cmom.org
The Children’s Museum of Indianapolis 3000 North Meridian Street Indianapolis, IN 46208-4716
[email protected]
Brooklyn Children’s Museum 145 Brooklyn Avenue Brooklyn, NY 11213 www.Newyork.sidewalk.com
The New Chicago Children’s Museum 417 South Dearborn Street, Suite 500 Chicago, IL 60605 www.chichildrensmuseum.org/kid_kids.html
Children gain an aesthetic sense by doing, sensing, feeling, and responding to things. As children learn and grow in the early childhood years, a sense of aesthetics can be developed as they learn to join what they think with what they feel. Such aesthetic experiences allow children to express their feelings about what they are learning and experiencing. In this way, there is no false separation between work and play, art and learning, and thought and feeling. After the ages 7–8, children are able to mentally deal with more abstract ideas. At this time children can engage in aesthetic discussions about their artistic opinions and ideas about what
CHAPTER 3 The Concept of Aesthetics
art is. Children with improved aesthetic sensitivity have a greater chance to be creative and have a more enjoyable learning experience. Teachers can help develop children’s aesthetic senses by involving them in the arts; introducing them to famous works of art, music, dance, or literature; allowing them to explore their environment; and avoiding single solutions to complex problems. Children benefit from their aesthetic sensitivity because it generates more excitement in their lives as well as more insight. The ability to use one’s taste or to know one’s preference, which is basic to an aesthetic sense, can improve the quality of learning. Aesthetic sensibility in children also helps them develop their feelings of sensitivity, independence, and tolerance.
KEY TERMS aesthetics multimedia artwork the aesthetic movement
LEARNING ACTIVITIES BEING AWARE In order to use one’s aesthetic sense, one must pay very close attention to that which is personally interesting. This means being very aware of oneself and one’s surroundings. A. Try to think a new thought or make a discovery by paying closer attention to yourself. B. Begin by going to a place that is quiet and relaxing. Sit down and take a minute to rest. Then say, “Now I am aware of . . .” and finish this statement with what you are in touch with at the moment. Notice whether this is something inside or outside yourself. C. Make the statement again and see what happens. 1. Has your awareness changed? 2. Are fantasies, thoughts, or images part of your awareness? D. Make the statement again, but this time think of a person. 1. Who comes to mind? 2. What does it mean? E. Try the same sentence, but change your awareness by thinking of different things such as a flower, a picture, someone from the past, a child, your favorite place, and so on.
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F. Notice that when thinking of something outside, one cannot think of something inside at the same time. G. What does this mean for working with children? Compare your answers with classmates, and find out how they feel about this activity. FRUIT This is an activity to make new discoveries by paying closer attention to everyday things. A. Take three different types of fruit. Close your eyes and pick each one up. Feel them with your fingers from top to bottom. 1. How are they different? 2. How are they the same? B. Place the fruits against your face. 1. Do they feel different? 2. What about the temperature of the fruit? C. Smell the fruits, being sure to keep your eyes closed. 1. How different are the aromas? 2. Which is your favorite? D. Open your eyes and look at the fruits. 1. Hold them up to the light. 2. See if you can see anything new about each fruit. E. What have you discovered from this activity? (Notice you did not taste or eat the fruit.) 1. Could you still receive pleasure from the fruit without eating it? 2. What does this mean for working with children? F. Compare your answers with those of classmates, and find out how they felt about this activity. MUSEUM EXPLORATIONS Plan a trip to a local museum for a group of young children. Help the children to focus in the gallery with activities such as: ■ searching for a particularly interesting picture. For example, in a room filled with paintings ask children, “Can you find the painting where there is a bear, a house, a mother, and a baby?” ■ asking, “What would it feel like to be in the painting?’ “Where would you like to go?” “What would you like to do if you were there?” ■ asking children to find two pictures that are the same in some way—the same colors, the same subject, the same feeling.
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ACTIVITIES FOR CHILDREN A. Art Talk Using Van Gogh’s famous painting Starry Night, ask young children the following questions about the painting. ■ What do you see in the painting? ■ What do you notice about the colors and lines? ■ Show me in the painting what you think is the most important thing in it. Why? ■ How does this picture make you feel? ■ What do you think the artist was feeling when he was painting this picture? Another kind of questioning about Starry Night might be to have the children imagine they are in the scene. ■ If you were in the painting, where would you want to be? ■ How would that feel? ■ What kind of things do you think you would smell? ■ What kind of animals might live there? These questions could be used for any other painting of your choice. B. Artwork in Children’s Books Children’s books provide many opportunities to develop children’s aesthetic senses. Beautifully illustrated books introduce different art styles and techniques. Picture books are especially good for use in discussing art elements and children’s personal preferences. Look for children’s books that have been awarded the Caldecott Medal for excellence in illustration. C. Art at a Touch Plan a visit to a museum that has outdoor art such as large sculpture. These can be viewed closely and touched and provide a very meaningful experience for children as they can be freely explored by all the children. D. Art in Nature The beauty of nature is also a continuing source of inspiration for young children. It is through nature that many children acquire some of their earliest ideas and concepts of design. A variety of experiences can be planned to help children observe and discover color, line, form, pattern, and texture in natural objects. ■ Make a bulletin board arrangement of natural objects and materials.
■ Begin a collection of natural objects, such as flowers, weeds, twigs, stones, shells, seed pods, moss, and feathers, for a touch-and-see display. ■ Take a walking trip to observe color, shape, and texture in the immediate environment. Share individual discoveries with others during class discussion. ■ Show films, conduct dramatizations, or read stories and poems to develop these concepts. ■ Arrange a shelf or corner table for things of beauty which children can admire. Contributions can be made by parents, some of whom may have objects which represent art of their own heritage. Keep changing the collection! Variety and contrast encourage young children’s interest. ■ Give children an opportunity to arrange objects in an aesthetically pleasing manner: flower bouquets, fruit and vegetable centerpieces, collections of dried plants, leaves, and seed pods placed in a ball of clay or block of styrofoam. ■ Offer equipment such as magnifying glasses, kaleidoscopes, prisms, and safety mirrors, to help sharpen children’s visual sensitivity. ■ In describing the children’s artwork to them, use terms that relate to the color, form, texture, patterns, and arrangement of space. ■ Be enthusiastic about your own sensory awareness and share your perceptions with the children. ■ What ideas can you add to this list?
ACTIVITIES FOR OLDER CHILDREN (GRADES 4–5) Aesthetic experiences for older children involve their opinions of art and their ability to express these opinions and to appreciate those of others. The following “Art Problems” are designed to capitalize on older children’s ability to grasp more complex ideas and should encourage discussion on art and aesthetic appreciation. A. The Problem of “The Pile of Bricks” This problem involves the nature of art and such questions as “What is art?”, “Is it representation?” “Is it the expression and communication of emotion?” Consider the following possibility, based on an exhibit at the Tate Gallery (London) in 1976. A famous artist, known to be a “minimalist” sculptor, buys 120 bricks and, on the floor of a well-known art museum, arranges them in a rectangular pile, 2 bricks high, 6 across, and 10 lengthwise. He labels
CHAPTER 3 The Concept of Aesthetics
it Pile of Bricks. Across town, a bricklayer’s assistant at a building site takes 120 bricks of the very same kind and arranges them in the very same way, wholly unaware of what has happened in the museum—he is just a tidy bricklayer’s assistant. Can the first pile of bricks be a work of art while the second pile is not, even though the two piles are seemingly identical in all observable respects? Why or why not? B. The Problem of The Fire in the Louvre The Louvre is on fire. You can save either the Mona Lisa or the injured guard who had been standing next to it—but not both. What should you do? C. Is Shakespeare a Real Writer? Lord Byron criticized Shakespeare as follows: “Shakespeare’s name, you may depend on it, stands absurdly too high and will go down…He took all his plots from old novels, and threw their stories into dramatic shape, at as little expense of thought, as you or I could do.” (Henderson, 1986). Is Shakespeare’s use of familiar stories an aesthetic defect? Is Byron a good critic of Shakespeare?
CHAPTER REVIEW 1. Define aesthetics. 2. List three things a teacher can do to help children develop their aesthetic sensitivity. 3. List five benefits of aesthetic sensitivity in children. 4. List at least two specific ways to introduce young children to the work of an artist and to involve them in art appreciation in general. 5. List at least three art elements to discuss with children. 6. What aesthetic experiences are appropriate for older children (grades 4–5) and why?
REFERENCES Aslin, E. (1969). The aesthetic movement: Prelude to art nouveau. New York: Praeger. Colbert, C., & Taunton, M. (1992). Developmentally appropriate practices for the visual arts education of young children. NAEA Briefing Paper. Reston, VA: National Art Education Association. Feeney, S., & Moravcik, E. (1987, September). A thing of beauty: Aesthetic development in young children. Young Children, 6–15. Henderson, B. (1986). Rotten reviews: A literary companion. Wainscott, NY: Pushcart Press. Lasky, L., & Mukerji, R. (1980). Art: Basic for young children. Washington, DC: NAEYC.
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Schiller, M. (1995, March). An emergent art curriculum that fosters understanding. Young Children, 50 (3), 33–45. Szekely, G. (1991). Discovery experiences in art history for young children. Art Education, 44 (5), 41–19.
ADDITIONAL READINGS Ahlberg, L. (1999, spring). Understanding and appreciating art: The relevance of experience. The Journal of Aesthetic Education, 33 (1), 11–23. Battin, M. (1994). Cases for kids: Using puzzles to teach aesthetics to children. The Journal of Aesthetic Education, 28(3), 89–104. Berry, N., & Mayer, S. (Eds.). (1989). Museum education: History, theory, practice. Reston, VA: National Art Educators Association (NAEA). Danielson, C., & Abrutyn, L. (1997). An introduction to using portfolios in the classroom. Alexandria, VA: Association for Supervision & Curriculum Development. Day, M. (Ed.). (1997). Preparing teachers of art. Reston, VA: NAEA. Engel, B. S. (1998). Considering children’s art: Why and how to value their works. Reston, VA: NAEA. Engel, S. (1999). Looking backward: Representations of childhood literary work. The Journal of Aesthetic Education. 33(1), 50–55. Feagin, S., & Maynard, P. (Eds.). (1998). Aesthetics. New York: Oxford University Press. Fowler, C. (1996). Strong arts, strong schools: The promising potential and shortsighted disregard of the arts in American schooling. New York: Oxford University Press. Hjort, M., & Laver, S. (1997). Emotion and the arts. New York: Oxford University Press. Jones, L. S. (1998). Art information on the internet. Phoenix, AZ: Oryx. Joyce, W. (1998). The world of William Joyce scrapbook. New York: HarperCollins. Junge, M. B. (1998). Creative realities: The search for meanings. Lanham, MD: University Press of America. Kindler, A. M. (Ed.). (1997). Child development in art. Reston, VA: NAEA. Korsmeyer, C. (Ed.). (1998). Aesthetics: The big questions. Malden, MA: Blackwell. Kulp, C. N. (1999, September). Looking for patterns. Teaching K-8, 68–69. Lankford, L. (1992). Aesthetics: Issues and inquiry. Reston, VA: NAEA. Matravers, D. (1998). Art and emotion. New York: Oxford University Press. Menke, C. (1998). The sovereignty of art. Translated by Neil Solomon. Cambridge, MA: MIT Press. Milbrath, C. (1998). Patterns of artistic development in children. New York: Cambridge University Press.
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Moore, R. (1994). Aesthetics for young people: Problems and prospects. The Journal of Aesthetic Education, 28(3), 15–18. Moore, R. (Ed.). (1995). Aesthetics for Young People. Reston, VA: NAEA. Oxford University. (1998). Encyclopedia of Aesthetics, 4 Vols. New York: Oxford University Press. Riley, G. (1998). A feast for the eyes: Evocative recipes and surprising tales inspired by paintings in the National Gallery. New Haven, CT: Yale University Press. Ross, S. D. (1998). The gift of touch: Embodying the good. Albany, NY: State University of New York Press. Scruton, R. (1997). The aesthetics of music. New York: Oxford University Press. Sparshott, F. (1998). The future of aesthetics. Toronto, Canada: University of Toronto Press. Staley, L. (1998). Beginning to implement the Reggio philosophy. Young Children, 53(5), 20–25. Steward, M. (1994). Aesthetics and the art curriculum. Journal of Aesthetic Education, 28(3), 77–88. White, B. (1998, Summer). Aesthetigrams: Mapping aesthetic experiences. Studies in Art Education, 39(4), 321–335.
BOOKS FOR CHILDREN PRESCHOOL Baumbusch, B. (1999). Looking at nature. New York: STC Publications. Bottner, B. (2000). Marsha is only a flower. New York: St. Martin’s Press. Cooke, T. (2000). I want a hat like that. New York: Random House. Crozon, A., & Lanchais, A. (1999). I can fly! San Fran cisco: Chronicle Books. Daly-Weir, C. (2000). Happily never after: Tangled tales. New York: Golden Books. Diaz, J. R. (1999). Colors pop-up fun. Santa Monica, CA: Intervisual Books. Ehlert, L. (2000). Market day: A story told with folk art. New York: Harcourt. Friedman, M. (2000). Get a clue! New York: Golden Books. Gibbons, G. (2000). The art box. New York: Holiday House. Gold-Dworkin, H., & Lee, D. G. (1999). Exploring light and color. New York: McGraw-Hill. Konigsburg, E. L. (1999). Samuel Todd’s book of great colors. New York: Hyperion. Lambert, J., & Lambert, K. (2000). Colors. New York: Scholastic. Lee, K., Repchuk, C., & Hawke, R. (1999). Snappy little colors: Discover a rainbow of colors. Brookfield, CT: Millbrook.
Myers, W. D. (2000). The blues of flats brown. New York: Holiday House. Pelham, D. (2000). A pop-up fantasy. Santa Monica, CA: Intervisual Books. Reasoner, C. (1996). Who pretends? New York: Price. Ringgold, F. (1999). Cassie’s colorful day. New York: Crown Books. Scarry, R. (1999). Richard Scarry’s color book. New York: Random House. Snyder, M. (1999). Colors. Phoenix, AZ: Futech Interactive Products. Strom, M. D. (1999). Rainbow Joe and me. New York: Lee & Low. Waldman, N. (1999). The starry night. Honesdale, PA: Boyds Mills Press. Wellington, M. (2000). Squeaking of art: The mice go to the museum. New York: Dutton/Plume. Wethered, P. (2000). Touchdown Mars! An ABC adventure. New York: Penguin Zoller, A. D. (2000). Fish colors. Watertown, MA: Charlesbridge Publishing.
KINDERGARTEN–GRADE 3 Browne, A. (1998). Voices in the park. New York: DK Publishing. Christelow, E. (1999). What do illustrators do? New York: Clarion Books. Collins, P. L. (1992). I am an artist. Brookfield, CT: Millbrook Press. Esbensen, B. J., & Davie, H. K. (1996). Echoes for the eyes. New York: HarperCollins. Esbensen, B. J., & Stadler, J. (1998). Words with wrinkled knees. Chattanooga, TN: Highlights Co. Esbensen, B. J. (2000). The night rainbow. New York: Orchard. Gough-Coope, J. (1999). Marcel Duchamp: A life in pictures. Boulder, CO: Atlas Press. Hathorn, L. (1998). Sky sash so blue. New York: Simon & Schuster. Knutson, B. (2000). Colors of Ghana. New York: Lerner. Le Tord, B. (1995). A blue butterfly: A story about Claude Monet. New York: Doubleday. Leopold, N. C. (1999). Once I was… New York: Putnam. Littlefish, H. (2000). Colors of India. New York: Lerner. Low, A. (1995). Young painter: The life and paintings of Wang Yan, China’s extraordinary young artist. Boston: Houghton Mifflin. Lowery, L. (1999). Pablo Picasso. New York: Lerner. Martin, J. B. (1999). Snowflake Bentley. Boston: Houghton Mifflin. Micklethwait, L. (1993). A child’s book of art: Great pictures, first words. New York: DK Ink. Nicholoson, N. B. (1998). Little girl in a red dress with cat and dog. New York: Viking. Roche, D. (1998). Art around the world loo-loo, boo, and more art you can do. Boston: Houghton Mifflin. Thompson, R. (1999). There is music in a pussy cat. London: Fitzhenry & Whiteside.
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Weitzmann, J. P. (1998). You can’t take a balloon into the Metropolitan Museum. New York: Dial.
GRADES 4–5 Boehm, A. (1998). Jack in search of art. New York: Rinehart. Buchholz, Q., & Neumeyer, P. F. (1999). The collector of moments. New York: Farrar, Straus & Giroux. Bulla, C. C. (1998). The paint brush kid. New York: Random House. Clement, R. (1999). Frank’s great museum adventure. New York: HarperCollins. Covington, K. (2000). Creators: Artists, designers, craftswomen. Chatham, NJ: Raintree. Crosbie, M. J., & Rosenthal, S. (1993). Architecture: Shapes, (Vol. 4). New York: John Wiley & Sons. Esterman, M. M. (1990). A fish that’s a box: Folk art from the National Museum of American Art, Smithsonian Institute. Arlington, VA: Great Ocean. Geisert, A. (1997). The etcher’s studio. Boston: Houghton Mifflin. Guarnieri, P. (1999). A boy named Giotto. New York: Farrar, Straus & Giroux. Katz, F. E. (1997). Tuck me in mummy, (Vol. 9). San Jose, CA: Fret E. Katz. Laden, N. (1998). When Pigasso met Mootisse. San Francisco, CA: Chronicle Books. Lantz, F. (1998). Fade far away. New York: Avon Books. Littlesugar, A. (1997). A portrait of Spotted Deer’s grandfather. Chicago: Albert Whitman. Locker, T. (1999). The man who paints nature. Katonah, NY: Richard C. Owen Publishers. Lowery, P. (1994). I am an artist. Brookfield, CT: Millbrook. Morrison, T. (1999). Civil war artist. Boston: Houghton Mifflin.
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Morrison, T. (1997). The Neptune fountain: The apprenticeship of a Renaissance sculptor. New York: Holiday House. Nunes, L. B. (1995). My friend the painter. New York: Harcourt. Peppin, A. (1994). Places in art. Brookfield, CT: Millbrook. Pittman, H. C., & Raymond, V. (1998). Still-life stew. New York: Hyperion. Press, K. (1999). My life according to me with pens/pencils. Palo Alto, CA: Klutz Press. Robishaw, S. (1999). Rosita and Sian search for a great work of art. Cooks, MI: Many Tracks Publishing. Ronson, M. (1998). Art attack: A short cultural history of the avant-garde. Boston: Houghton Mifflin. Ross, M. E. (2000). Nature art with Chiura Obata. New York: Hyperion. Rylant, C. (1998). The Van Gogh café. New York: Scholastic. Stotsky, S. (1998). Wild and crafty. Broomall, PA: Chelsea House. Sweeney, J, (1998). Bijou, Bonbon, and Beau: The kittens who danced for Degas. San Francisco, CA: Chronicle. Vazquez, S. (1998). Diego Rivera: An artist’s life. New York: Raintree. Vazuez, S. (1997). The school mural. New York: Raintree. Venezia, M. (1997). Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec. Chicago: Children’s Press. Welch, L. N. (1997). Kai: The lost statue Africa, 1440. New York: Simon & Schuster. Worcester, D. E. (1998). Cowboy with a camera: Erwin E. Smith, cowboy photographer. Ft. Worth, TX: Amon Carter Museum.
For additional creative activity resources, visit our Web site at www.EarlyChildEd.delmar.com.
PROMOTING AESTHETIC EXPERIENCES OBJECTIVES After studying this chapter, you should be able to: 1. Describe three types of sensing and feeling. 2. Choose materials that have good aesthetic potential. 3. List four guidelines to help children work with aesthetic materials. 4. List six guidelines to use in talking with children about their artwork.
P
eople search their world for what is important to them. They look for what they need. They see what they want. This is as true of preschool children as it is of adults. Imagine that a group of people are taken into a room and are asked to look at a table. On the table is some food, a glass of water, and a small amount of money. Those who are hungry are most likely to look at the food. Those who are thirsty will probably look at the water. Those who are in debt are apt to look at the money. Those who need furniture will probably take a closer look at the table. Children also look for things they need and want. A tired child looks for a place to rest. A lonely child looks for a friend. The point here is that only when children are physically well, feel safe, and sense that they belong can they be ready to develop an aesthetic sense. Beauty is not seen when one is afraid. Children hide their feelings when they do not feel safe.
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LOOKING AND SEEING Children look in many different ways. Touching, patting, poking, picking, and even tasting are ways of looking for young children. Children look for what they need, but they also see what they find to be stimulating. Something can be stimulating to a child for many different reasons. It can be because it is colorful, exciting, different, interesting, changing, moving, weird, and so on. The list of stimulating things is seemingly endless. However, there are some basic guidelines for preparing a stimulating activity or object:
Can children experience it with more than one sense? Children enjoy what they can touch, see, and hear more than something they can only see or hear.
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Can children interact with it? Children tend to enjoy what they can participate in. For children, the picture of a guinea pig will never replace a live guinea pig.
Are the children interested in it? Children relate to what is familiar to them and part of their life. Talking about a television program that children have never seen cannot produce the kind of discussion that comes when they talk about their favorite program.
Is the activity well paced? Something that moves too quickly or too slowly eventually becomes boring. Watch how many children begin to fidget when the story is too long.
FIGURE 4–1
Does it promise to be rewarding? Is the activity fun, adventurous, or exciting? Does it have something worthwhile at the end? If not, why should the children stick with it? Searching for a piece of a puzzle or looking for a hidden treasure is only fun if the children believe they can find it.
SENSING, FEELING, AND IMAGINING There are basically three types of sensing and feeling. The first is contact with the world outside of the person, actual sensory contact with things and events. It is seeing, hearing, smelling, tasting, and touching. The second is what people feel within themselves. This includes what they experience under their skin. Itches, tensions, muscular movements, discomfort, and emotions are all a part of this type of sensing. The third type of sensing and feeling goes beyond the present and reality. It is usually called fantasy and includes dreams, memories, images, and guesses. For a child, each of these types of sensing and feeling is very important. All three can take place during the same activity. Any one can become more important than the other two, depending on what the child needs or wants at the moment. Most teachers are concerned about the child’s sensory contact with the outside world. Children do many things that involve touching, seeing, and hearing; yet, what they feel inside and what they fantasize about are also important. The teacher must give attention to these two processes as well. They are part of aesthetic sensitivity. Teachers should ask themselves two questions each day when working with preschool children. Both should be answered yes, followed by the question, “How?”
Molding clay, with no other purpose than to feel it in their hands, gives children the motivation to continue the activity.
The first question has to do with the inside feelings of the children: Have the children done something today that has helped them feel good about themselves? The second has to do with the fantasies of the children: Have the children done something today that has helped them use their imagination in either the past, present, or future? Lesson plans, activities, and trips should be planned and evaluated with these two questions in mind. If teachers are sincere about answering yes to the two questions, their teaching will relate to all the ways children sense and feel.
FIGURE 4–2
Children explore things in many ways to learn how things work.
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FIGURE 4–3
Provide children with materials that are open-ended, and can be used in many ways.
FINDING AND ORGANIZING AESTHETIC MATERIALS
adequate light, can make a beauty corner. Children develop aesthetic skills in sensing and exhibiting by helping to build such a place. They can learn to ask such questions as, “Does it look better this way?” or “Should we put more light on it?” Usually, the finding of materials involves more than looking. Children need to play with the found materials to try them out for weight, texture, structure, and so on. After the materials have been tested and shared, they may go into the beauty corner or a classroom collection. Sometimes the children’s search can be focused on something, as in finding things for painting or building. As they find that their discovered materials make their day-to-day work more interesting, they become alert to new possibilities. For the teacher and the children, this can mean a constant supply of materials and new aesthetic experiences. Older children will enjoy this same experience of collecting materials, but can go further into associating materials with the elements of art. For example, the materials can be selected and collected according to their design possibilities. Objects can be classified into art categories such as those to be used for line, shape, texture, size, and color elements. The number and types of classifications will vary by the age level and interest of the children.
Every teacher has many ideas about what materials are best for children. Sometimes the desired materials are too expensive or difficult to find. Schools have limited budgets, and even ordinary items can seem impossible to obtain. There are three resources with great potential: salvage material, commonly known as “junk”; the hardware store; and things the children bring in. Before describing the organization of these materials, it is helpful to have some guidelines for choosing materials with good aesthetic potential. ■ Choose materials that children can explore with their senses (touch, sight, smell). ■ Choose materials that children can manipulate (twist, bend, cut, color, mark). ■ Choose materials that can be used in different ways (thrown, bounced, built with, fastened, shaped). Children enjoy finding materials because it suggests exploration and discovery. The discovery of materials can be celebrated and shared in a “beauty corner” where newly found leaves, ribbons, and other treasures can be placed (Chandler, 1973). A small collection of colored cloths, a few blocks or boxes, and a screen, pegboard, or tack board to fasten things on, all set in
FIGURE 4–4
A child’s personal statement is more important than either the materials or the process.
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Promoting Aesthetic Experiences: Talking with Young Children about their Artwork John Pete, age four, runs up to you with his dripping-wet painting. Beaming with pride, he thrusts his painting of several dark blotches at you and says expectantly, “Look what I painted!” Just what do you say to him? Should you praise John Pete, encourage more painting, critique his work, or withhold any judgment at all? What is the best way to talk with young children about their art in a way to encourage their individual aesthetic experience? The following suggestions should assist you in answering this question. 1. The next time children show you what they have created, smile, pause, and say nothing at first. This serves two purposes. It gives you time to study the children’s art and to reflect on what you want to say before you speak. It gives you time to think of a better response than an impulsive, stereotypical response like, “That’s nice.” Second, and more importantly, it will give children an opportunity to talk first if they so choose. This provides a lead-in and direction for your subsequent comments. 2. The elements of art provide a good framework for responding to children (for a description of the art elements, see Figure 3–8 in Chapter 3). You can comment on such things as design, pattern, color, line, shape or form, texture, and space. Figure 3–8 provides sample “things to say” to help you here. 3. Do not focus on representation in art (“What is it?”), but focus instead on the abstract or design qualities (“Look what a beautiful pattern these blue lines make!”). 4. Use reflective dialogue in talking with children about their art. “You are so proud of your work, aren’t you?” “You spent a lot of time making so many different shapes.” “You worked very hard at drawing today.” 5. Not all comments need to refer to the artistic elements. Your comments might also refer to other aspects of the project or to the child’s specific interests as well. For example, a young artist hands you a drawing and says, “That’s my house, and the painter is painting it.” You may want to comment on other qualities of the work such as the amount of time and effort spent, how the materials were handled, or the meaning of the drawing to the child. For example, you might respond, “Your drawing really shows a lot of action!” or “How hard you worked to include the paint cans and brushes!” “I can tell by your drawing that you really enjoyed using so many different colors of crayons.” 6. Do not attempt to correct a child’s artwork or try to improve a child’s art by having it more closely approximate reality. Children’s art is not intended as a copy of the real world. Child artists may freely choose to add or omit details. Adults’ criticism or corrections only discourage children and do not foster aesthetic experiences. Concentrate and comment on what is in the child’s work and not on what isn’t! 7. You may even want to simply ask the child “Do you want to tell me about your work?” Of course, with this question, “no” is as acceptable an answer as “yes.”
AESTHETIC USE OF MATERIALS The uses of materials collected by the teacher and children are only limited by the collectors’ interests and imagination. Of course, storage space and time to search can sometimes set boundaries on the exploration for aesthetic materials. However, what is most important is that the materials and what is done with them become personal statements of the children and
teacher. This is not done by what is made, but by how it is made—whether it is an art project, a building project, or another activity. The process of making and the child’s personal involvement in it are the keys here— not the finished product. Children must have the opportunity not only to find materials but also to try them out. This means much experimenting with the materials to determine what the children feel they need. A question such as, “What would you like to say with these things?” might help both the children and the teacher get started. Checking
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with the children’s moods may be helpful, too. Do they seem to feel happy, dreamy, sad, gentle, aggressive? Such questioning can help the children reach their own purpose based on their experience and interests. Another important consideration in the creative process is the number of materials. It is important to remember not to give children too many materials too often. Too much to choose from can overwhelm a child. The qualities of one material can be lost in the midst of so many others. An example of this would be to work with a certain color or a single material, such as clay or paper. In this way, the children can learn more about making their own aesthetic choices, as well as mastering specific skills. While the process of exploring materials is the primary focus of aesthetic experiences, with older children (grades 4–5), the process usually involves the creation of more complex works of art. Children at this level pay greater attention to expressing specific ideas in their work. They are more intentional in their approach to using materials. Because they are not distracted by quantity of materials as younger children are, a variety of interesting materials needs to be available for their aesthetic experiences.
GUIDANCE IN USING AESTHETIC MATERIALS Some guidance by the teacher in working with aesthetic materials is necessary. This guidance must be very gentle, supportive, and sensitive. Children need to know they can take chances and be different. The teacher can give guidance in several ways (Chandler, 1973):
Ask questions aimed at helping the children reach out for and get the “payoff” they are seeking. A question teachers can ask themselves that will help them ask the right question of children is, “What can I ask the children that would help them better understand what they want?” When the children are working with paints, this question may be something about color. When they are working with paper, it may be something about form, such as “What shape would you like it to be?” Even better, ask how paper feels, as just seeing a shape is only one way of sensing paper.
Avoid too many ready-made models or ways of doing things. Teaching children over and over to do something in only one way may ruin their aesthetic sense. Repetition tells them to stop thinking. For example, why always start to draw in the middle of a piece of paper? Why not sometimes draw from the edges or bottom? Or why not change the shape of the
FIGURE 4–5
Children enjoy what they can touch or see.
paper on which children draw, using paper in the shape of a triangle, parallelogram, or circle?
Be positive and creative when using models or examples. Occasional use of models and examples is not uncommon in many classrooms today. Their use need not be a negative experience for children if they are used positively—as a springboard to unlocking each child’s own creative approach to a shared, common theme (or object). Many times, a brief look at one or two examples (which should not then be displayed for “copying” during the activity) can help motivate children to get started on making one of their own. Also, using a model produced by another child of the same age can encourage children in that it is something possible for them to do, too. Teacher comments throughout activities and the use of examples can help encourage each child to be creative in her approach. Statements like, “Claire, I like how you are using so many colors,” or “Jeremy, you used that paper in a very nice and different way to make your own design,” clearly communicate the positive acceptance of different approaches.
Help children select the materials they prefer. This may mean asking the children which materials they plan to use first, which materials they may not use at all, and which materials they may possibly use. Be patient with children and choices. Remember, the simplest choices for teachers become major decision-making opportunities for young children. What color paper to choose, what color crayons or paint, what shape and size of paper, which way to hold the paper are all options children should have. Children may require more time to work if many decisions must be made, but it’s time well spent aesthetically and creatively.
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Create a Classroom Museum Provide children (of all ages) a year-round aesthetic experience by incorporating a classroom museum in your program. It’s “show and tell” in a more meaningful, aesthetic sense. Here are the basics to get you started.
WHAT IS A CLASSROOM MUSEUM? A classroom museum is a collection of items and artifacts on a specific theme. Items and artifacts are brought in by the children for display. Using this approach for show and tell, the theme or topic is motivating and the exhibit grows gradually and joyfully. Decision-making, problem-solving, and communicating are skills practiced as the children share/add their special selections. Treasures from home, a family-crafted item, or an occasional purchase—each contribution is worthy. The sharing is educational and enjoyable. Museum topics change each month, with teacher/child interest sparking the choice. ESSENTIALS FOR SUCCESS ■ Make a quality choice for the first museum of the year. ■ Determine a clear purpose and definite goals for the museum as a curriculum tool appropriate for children’s development. ■ Invite family participation via an informative, friendly August newsletter, a September Parent’s Night, and a special museum notice. ■ Plan a simple but attractive museum area in the classroom. A suitable physical set-up includes a backdrop for hanging pictures and a display table. ■ Highlight the children’s artifacts and show and tell experience. ■ Select a child as a curator to encourage responsibility. ■ Guide children’s selection for show and tell artifacts to help foster respect for all contributions and ensure their survival in the classroom (especially fragile or sentimental items). A good place to start in the beginning of the program year is with a “Me Museum.” This is a good topic to start with because it encourages a feeling of community as teacher and children learn more about each other.
STEPS TO SETTING UP THE “ME MUSEUM” 1. Awareness (with children)—Explore the concept of museum. Discuss possible items for a Me Museum. Plan ways that families can help. Frame a family museum notice. Establish routines for sharing. 2. Contributions (from children)—Me Museum artifacts are always surprises. Descriptions delight. Personal history in bits and pieces come alive. Students have shared: stuffed animals, baby journals, family photos, toys, travel souvenirs, books or stories, ballet slippers….. 3. Integration (with children)—Growth in vocabulary occurs. Expressive language expands. Thinking and problem-solving skills are nurtured. 4. Outcomes (for children)—Child by child, with each contribution, child-centered showing and sharing creates a caring community in which each child is important and friendships emerge. TO CONTINUE THE MUSEUM To create the next month’s museum, brainstorm with the children some possible topics and themes. What do they want to learn about? What provokes their curiosity? What special interest do they want to share/explore with classmates? Inspired and motivated, many ideas are listed and voting follows (integrating math skills such as counting, graphing, predicting, and comparing). First choice becomes the next museum, with second place a strong possibility for a future museum. The teacher also selects topics to coincide with curriculum or timely topics. Topics may vary from year to year. The steps listed above of awareness, contributions, integration, and outcome all facilitate museum planning.
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Help children “hunt” for aesthetic qualities. Help children get in touch with what they feel about differences. For example, ask children to show what they like or think is better. Ask what is brighter, darker, happier, sadder. Encourage older children to identify and analyze more subtle and complex visual relationships such as how light affects our perception of colors, textures, and forms.
Help children use other senses when only one sense seems necessary. Children can be asked to hear what they see in a drawing or to draw what they hear in music. Colors can be related to feelings, music, and body movements, as well as to seeing. Older children can be encouraged to explore such ideas as how we perceive space and distance in art. They also need to be encouraged to continue to express in their art what they see, know, feel, and imagine.
Help children experience basic elements of art such as line, rhythm, and contrast in many art forms. Creative movements (or dance) display a strong relationship to the basic art element of line. For example, when children are moving in a wiggly or a twisting way they can be given a signal to freeze or hold by the striking of a gong or stopping the music. The teacher might then appreciatively point out the different lines the body makes while it is held or frozen—the continuous curve from back toe through the body to the reaching, stretched fingers. The children can also make similar observations about each other’s interesting body line designs in space. It is natural, then to circle back from one’s understanding of
the body line to reaching, curving, or twisting lines in clay, crayon, or paint. The element of rhythm is most frequently associated with music, dance, and poetry, but it can be just as much a quality in art. We find it in repeated shapes, colors, and textures which flow in a directional path, such as in children’s nature print designs. We also sense rhythm in their block structures of repeated patterns. We know rhythm unmistakably in the pulse of movement and music. You may want to use the print Going to Church, by William H. Johnson, as a starting point in talking with young children about rhythm in art. You may want to mention the “up-down” motion and rhythmic patterns seen in the figures in the wagon as well as in the background designs. Other good examples of rhythm in design can be found in the stylized geometric rhythmic patterns of traditional Native Americans in their weaving, pottery, beadwork, and sand painting, which often tell stories about mountains, rivers, sun, and lightning. The element of contrast provides one of the most exciting characteristics in all the arts. Sensitive teachers frequently help children become more aware of the power of contrast by pointing out how two colors next to each other make the shapes stand out. They comment on the roughly textured bark of a tree in contrast to its smooth leaves. Children appreciate the exaggerated features of “evil creature” puppets in contrast to the more subtle features of the heroes and heroines. The concept of contrast for older children can be expanded from that presented to younger children. Contrast can involve the introduction of the color wheel. They can see on the color wheel how colors that are opposite one another are called complementary colors. These complementary colors provide more contrast than colors next to each other on the color wheel, called analogous colors. The idea of warm colors (reds, oranges, yellows) and cool colors (blues, greens, purples) is another concept appropriate for older children as they learn about creating contrast in their work.
DISPLAYING CHILDREN’S WORK
FIGURE 4–6
Has the child done something today that has helped him feel good about himself?
An important part of the teacher’s role in developing children’s aesthetic sensitivity is showing their work to parents and others. A good rule of thumb is that if the children feel good about their work, let them show it. The work does not have to be complete. It should be displayed at children’s eye level so that they, as well as adults, may enjoy it. Not every child in the group has to have his or her work displayed. Set up displays to show the different ways the children have used a medium, such as painting, collage,
CHAPTER 4 Promoting Aesthetic Experiences
clay, and so on. Let the room reflect the children’s diversity, their likes, their interests—much the way a well-decorated home reflects the interests and skills of the people who live in it. Children aren’t clones, so we certainly don’t expect to see 25 identical works of art with different names on them displayed in the room. How does this reflect the children’s diversity? Take time at the end of the day to show artwork to the children, letting them talk about each other’s work. Model for the children how to make a positive comment, using the guidelines presented in this unit. Be sure to send all artwork home in a way that shows your respect for the artist and the art. For example, paintings folded rather than rolled, or rolled when wet and therefore stuck together, tell children their work doesn’t matter (Clemens, 1991, p. 10). (More specific suggestions on displaying children’s work are covered in Appendix D.) INTERPRETING CHILDREN’S CREATIVE WORK FOR PARENTS Parents should be helped to see what the child liked about the creative work. All people have their own ideas of what creative talent is, parents being no exception. It is important, however, that they understand and know that what their children enjoy and feel about what they are doing is much more important than the finished product. Parents should also know why some materials are used by their children and others are not. More importantly, parents should learn to approach their child’s making of gifts, art exhibits, and displays as demonstrations of the child’s aesthetic sense. With these displays, the child is saying, “This is how it is with me.” Parents want to know their children; children’s creative work can help parents know more about their children. Teachers can assist parents by showing these visual examples of the creative process and pointing out that they are valuable for the process alone. Teachers can assist parents of older children to see and appreciate the progression of images that are growing more subtle and complex in their child’s art. Very few children will become professional artists, but given encouragement and experience they can learn to work with many media, enjoy beauty, and discriminate with aesthetic understanding. A person naturally responds to a lovely sunrise, painting, or piece of music. These aesthetic experiences help us live fully in the moment. Such responses do not need to be taught, but a child might need assistance and exposure to appreciate them fully. Aesthetic enjoyment provides an avenue through which people can find focus and achieve balance and tranquillity in an increasingly fast-
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moving world. Moreover, children who learn to love beauty in nature and in the arts are likely to want to support and protect these valuable resources. DEVELOPING YOUR SENSE OF AESTHETICS Early childhood teachers need to protect the spirit, imagination, curiosity, and love of life and learning in young children as fiercely as we protect our environment. In a like manner, early childhood teachers need to develop and protect their own aesthetic sense. As you read through this book you will most likely find some activities that catch your attention, that appeal to your spirit, and reflect your personality and philosophy. Indeed, it must be your personality and philosophy that determine how you use any activity. All of the ideas and activities in this book are to be shaped and modified to suit your own needs with a particular group of children. Any idea will only be successful if you like it and are excited to use it with young children. You must mix a lot of you into all of your work with young children. Do not hesitate to mix in your philosophy and personality along with those of the children, add a good portion of energy (yours and the children’s), stir in a large measure of imagination, and you are on your way to a truly creative environment for young children.
SUMMARY Children look for things they need and want. They are stimulated by things they find interesting and rewarding. There are three types of sensing and feeling. The first is contact through the five basic senses; the second is what the person feels inside; and the third is fantasy. Many materials with aesthetic potential can be found. Anything children can explore, manipulate, and use in different ways has aesthetic potential. What is most important is that these materials (and what is done with them) become personal statements of the children. Teachers and parents can help children explore this aesthetic potential by concentrating on the importance of the process and not the product in young children’s creative work. With older children (grades 4–5), the process usually involves the creation of a more complex work. With all ages of children, the teacher can give supportive and gentle guidance by asking helpful questions, avoiding models, and helping children “hunt” for aesthetic qualities. Displaying children’s work at their eye level is yet another way to show appreciation for their involvement in the creative process. Parents’ appreciation for
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these displays must also concentrate on the importance of the child’s creative process and not on the finished product. The teacher’s role is to help interpret children’s work for parents.
KEY TERMS classroom museum contrast rhythm
LEARNING ACTIVITIES BEAUTIFUL THINGS Everyone has had some experience with beauty and has a special idea about what is beautiful. It can be a very interesting experience to examine this concept with each of the five senses. A. Write down the three most beautiful things (living or nonliving) that you have ever experienced with each of your five senses. B. As you write your list, try as much as possible to relive the sensations. C. Answer the following questions: 1. Were most of your things living or nonliving? 2. How many involved people? 3. Did any of your answers surprise you? 4. How often do you encounter beautiful things? 5. Which sense seems to find the most beauty? 6. How much does beauty in life depend on you? 7. What does this mean for working with children? D. Compare your responses with fellow students. AMAZING JOURNEY A. Find a quiet place and relax. Close your eyes and think of something that amazes you or produces wonder in you. B. Think of yourself as that something. (Take some time to get the feel of being it.) C. Write a description of yourself as this something. (Use plenty of adjectives.) D. As a result of this experience: 1. What emotions do you feel? 2. How are you like what really amazes you? 3. How are you unlike it? 4. Would you like to change in any way? E. Compare your answers with classmates. F. Do you think children would enjoy using their imaginations like this?
ACTIVITIES FOR CHILDREN AESTHETIC THINKING THROUGH ART Help the child to think of new ideas to create the following: A. Say to the child, “If you could invent a new means of transportation, what would it be? Draw or construct how it would look.” B. Ask the child, “If you had a funny-shaped piece of paper, what could you make it into?” C. Ask, “How do you think the world would look to a giant? Draw a picture (or make a model) of it.” D. Ask, “What could you do with this empty box, this stick, this cardboard (beautiful junk)? How could you place it or arrange it to make something that’s your very own idea?” E. Relate topics given to the child to actual personal involvement or prior study and experience. Take your cues from the child’s world. Typical subjects to suggest might include: ■ your house ■ your family ■ where you like to play ■ your favorite thing to play with ■ an animal you know ■ how you feel when you’re lonely ■ a make-believe place ■ what you want to be when you grow up ■ clothes you like to wear ■ how you help others in your family ■ what you like to do when it is hot ■ your self-portrait ■ things that scare you ■ a friend ■ someone you love ■ a trip you have taken SENSORY EXPERIENCES Seeing A. Colors. Have the children look for colors in the room, such as “How many red things can you see?” Or play a guessing game, such as “I am thinking of something green in this room. What is it?” Colors sometimes tell us important things, such as the traffic lights tell us when to go or stop. Red flags on a road mean danger. Red lights in a building mean an exit. We must obey these signals. We can make different colors by mixing them. (Allow children to experiment with mixing colors.) Show a prism to see the colors. Blow soap bubbles, and look for the rainbow colors in them.
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B. Shapes. Show blocks or other objects that are circles, squares, rectangles, and triangles. Have children find things in the room that are these shapes. We can see color and shape at the same time. Find a red square, a blue circle, etc. C. Sizes. Compare sizes of children and objects. Develop concepts of big, bigger, biggest; large, small; tall, short; thick, thin; wide, narrow; etc. Play riddles, such as “I am thinking of something that is white and round (clock).”
smells best, what smells they don’t like. Draw a picture about smells. B. Snack or Lunch. Talk about differences in taste between hamburgers and bologna, between peanuts and peanut butter, between potato chips and mashed potatoes. (These discussions may also get into sense of touch as well as smell and taste.) Have children guess what they will have for lunch from smells coming from the kitchen.
Listening
Touching (Tactile Awareness)
A. Tape Recorder. The children can listen to their own voices, to voices of others, to classroom sounds. Take the recorder on field trips and record sounds of animals’ environments. Replay to review the trip and to help children remember sequence of events. Record sounds of environment: cars passing, steps in the corridor or on the street, children skipping, hopping, running. Ask questions like, “Do any of the animals sound alike? Which of the sounds was loudest? How would you describe that sound? Can you draw that sound? B. Street Corner. Listen to sounds. Identify them: car turning corner, wind blowing past sign, click as light changes, dog barking, rain dripping, wheels on wet pavement, animal footsteps, high heels on pavement, sneakers on pavement, noises from buildings. C. Classroom Sounds. Listen to sounds of different toys, clock ticking, blocks falling. Have children cover their eyes. “Where does the sound come from? What is the sound?” Have Mary walk (skip, run) across the back of the room, the front, or along the side. D. Stethoscope. Listen to heartbeats of children, adults, and animals. Listen to stomach after a snack. Scratch different objects on a table top (floor, rug, pipe) and listen to the sound through the stethoscope. E. Rhythms. Beat out simple and then more complex rhythms with clapping hands. Ask the children to repeat them. Then have the children lead with their own sound thythms.
A. Rough or Smooth? Teacher discusses tactile sensitivity with the children. Objects of varying textures are available, such as silk cloth, burlap, feathers, rope, seashells, mirrors, balls, driftwood, beads, furry slippers, and so on. Children form small groups and each group receives an object. Each child shows how the object makes her feel. For example, a feather may stand in a straight line with arms and legs extended, and then move “softly,” with arms waving gently from side to side. B. A Collage Made for Touching. A texture collage is a bulletin board that all students can contribute to and use later for future projects. Have the children bring in materials of different textures—sandpaper, flannel, velvet, burlap, plastic, bottle caps, pebbles, and paper clips—to glue on the board. Once the collage is complete, the children can make “rubbings,” using charcoal sticks on newsprint. This board should encourage use of vocabulary-expanding words like “coarse,” “smooth,” etc. C. Creative Movement. Discriminate between various textures through movements. Have the children feel a texture such as that of silk and interpret it by moving the way it feels. Use a variety of textures that exhibit characteristics such as bumpy, smooth, coarse, prickly. D. Outdoor Textures 1. Words to use: Rough, smooth, bumpy, soft, hard, sharp, cold, warm, wet, dry, same, different. 2. At the beginning of the walk, ask the children, “How do things feel?” Say, “Let’s feel this building,” or “Let’s feel the back of this tree.” 3. For the child who does not know the word “rough,” say to her while she feels the tree, “The tree bark feels rough. Let’s see if we can find something else that feels rough.” 4. For the child who knows the word “rough,” say, “Can you find something that feels different from this rough tree?” (Example: a smooth leaf.) Or, “Can you find something that feels the same as this rough tree?”
TASTE AND SMELL Be sure to teach children proper precautions in tasting or smelling strange substances. A. Cooking. Make puddings, candy, cakes. Smell before, after, and during cooking. Identify what’s cooking by smell. Taste brown sugar, white sugar, molasses, corn syrup, maple syrup. Make lemonade with and without sugar. Squeeze tomatoes, apples, oranges for juice. Question children about what
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5. As you continue your walk, find new objects to touch, and name their textures. Note: For very young children, begin with two simple words such as rough and smooth, soft and hard, or wet and dry. E. Hidden Objects in Boxes. Hide objects inside boxes and have children feel and describe them without seeing them. Have them match a given object by hunting for its mate in the box without seeing it. Have children match objects by size and shape, or only by shape, by pulling them out of the boxes. (Some children may be able to do this only if they have felt both objects with the same hand.) Put several objects in the boxes to make the task harder; more similar objects also make the task harder.
dle, fleece, and spinning wheel to a preschool and not only demonstrated her skill, but let the children work at carding wool and try their hands at spinning. They watched with keen attention as she showed them how yarn may be spun on such a simple device as a stick inserted in an onion. She told them of the many sources of fleece and brought along samples from a number of animals for them to touch. In a similar manner a linoleum block printer, painter, jewelry maker, or any number of different artists could touch the children’s lives in a memorable way through a classroom visit.
CONTACTS WITH ARTISTS— AT THEIR STUDIOS
COLOR OPTICS
A visit to the studio of a working artist has much to offer young children. They come into contact with an adult whose life is devoted to his art, and they see him at work—producing paintings, sculpture, prints, or crafts in his own studio. They see the artist using fascinating equipment and listen and watch as the artist explains the sequence of steps it takes to complete an object. Most artists’ studios abound in finished objects as well as works in progress and are intriguing places for young children to visit. They can come to know and identify art as something that is a natural and vital part of adult work and of a community’s life. A thematic unit on the “Community and Its Helpers” often includes visits to fire stations, post offices, and factories. What better time than this to arrange a visit to the studio of an artist? To see a potter throwing a pot on a fast-spinning wheel, to watch a sculptor chisel a lump of stone or wood and see a beautiful form emerge, to see a craftsperson create jewelry with metal and heat, to watch a weaver make a shuttle fly back and forth on a loom, or a printmaker work on a silk screen—all these are “ah-inspiring” experiences for young children. CONTACTS WITH ARTISTS— AT SCHOOL VISITS Not only is it feasible and stimulating to take the child to art galleries and artists’ studios, but it is also highly recommended that artists be invited to come to the school. The teacher can enlist the help of guilds, leagues, museums, galleries, local arts councils, and artist-in-residence programs to recruit resource people who are able and willing to visit the classroom. For example, one teacher had a woman from a local weaver’s guild visit the classroom. She brought her spin-
ACTIVITIES FOR OLDER CHILDREN (GRADES 4–5)
The following are some color optics phenomena older children will enjoy exploring individually. ■ Afterimage. This is probably the best known illustration of how our eyes react to color. Have the students stare at a page of solid color for about 30 seconds, then look at a dot on a page of white or gray. Our eyes will see color on the blank page—usually the complement or near complement of the color first looked upon. For example, we will see red if we first stare at bluegreen. We will see blue/violet if we first stare at yellow. ■ Juxtaposition. Color pigments placed sideby-side in small repeated strokes are altered by our vision to appear to combine, thus forming a different hue. This new optical effect is more vibrant than if the same pigments were blended together. This technique has been used historically by mosaic and stained glass artists, but most effectively by the nineteenth-century PostImpressionists such as Georges Seurat. Use a print of his painting, Sunday Afternoon on the Grand Jette to explore this concept. Then challenge the students to try their hand at this visual mixing of colors. ■ Color Relativity. The color gray appears much lighter when placed on a black background than it does against a white one. This dark/light effect holds true for many other colors as well. Yellow on a green background will appear to contain more red than it does on a white background. Using pairs of colored sheets of paper, let the students make their own discoveries of color optics by placing two samples of the same color on a variety of different backgrounds. Then have them compare results.
CHAPTER 4 Promoting Aesthetic Experiences
ACTIVITIES ON THE CONCEPT OF LINE Lines are basic to art. Lines can convey different moods. Before drawing and painting experiences, you might want to discuss the variety of lines that we encounter in our daily lives. Ask the students to think about telephone lines, clothes lines, lines of people, lines of music, the line of scrimmage. Then, ask them some of these questions to get them thinking: What do we associate with lines on a face? Where do you see long pairs of parallel lines? Where do you see more straight lines, in nature or in man-made objects? (Ask them to look around.) Where do you see more curves? Which conveys more movement, a straight line or a curvy one? To encourage their creative use of line in their work, and to explore line and mood with students, ask questions like these: A. Verticals 1. What do you see in our environment that is made up of vertical lines? (skyscrapers, trees, telephone poles, rain, Gothic cathedrals, soldiers standing at attention) 2. What moods or feelings do a series of verticals convey? (Heavenward, of the sky, strong, straight, dignified) 3. Have you ever leaned against a vertical? (yes, a wall, a tree, a lamppost) 4. When is your body vertical? (when standing) B. Horizontals 1. What in the environment is predominantly horizontal? (the horizon, the floor, a bed, a table, a still lake or pond) 2. What moods do these horizontals convey? (grounded, of the earth, relaxed, at rest, calm, serene, expansive) 3. When is your body horizontal? (when lying down, asleep) 4. Can you stand or sit on a horizontal? (yes, a sofa, the floor) C. Diagonals 1. Where do you see diagonals? (a slide, a plane taking off, a ramp) 2. What feeling is conveyed by diagonals? (action, movement) 3. When is your body at a diagonal? (when you are running, walking fast, leaning into the wind) D. Wavy lines 1. Where do you see wavy lines in the environment? (a wavy ocean, lake, river, snake, rolling hills) 2. What feelings do they convey? (undulating movement, relaxed, rhythmical, fluid)
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E. Zigzag lines 1. Where do you see zigzag lines in the environment? (lightning, a jagged tear, the earth after an earthquake, crimped hair) 2. What moods do they convey? (tense, anxious, frenzied) 3. When does your body form a zigzag? (while jumping on a pogo stick) F. Spirals 1. What do you see that is shaped in a spiral? (a spring, a slide, water going down a drain, a tornado, a coiled snake) 2. What feelings do spirals convey? (spinning, swirling, energetic) 3. When is your body in a spiral? (while twirling on the dance floor or doing a pirouette)
CHAPTER REVIEW 1. List three types of sensing and feeling. 2. Give three guidelines to use in choosing materials that have aesthetic potential. 3. List four suggestions to help children work with aesthetic materials. 4. Discuss how to involve parents in their children’s aesthetic experiences. 5. List some points to cover when discussing with parents how to interpret their children’s creative works. 6. List some points to consider when displaying children’s creative works. 7. List six guidelines to use in talking with children about their artwork. 8. What are some differences to expect in the aesthetic experiences of older children?
REFERENCES Chandler, M. (1973). Art for teachers of children (2nd ed.). Columbus, OH: Charles E. Merrill. Clemens, S. C. (1991, Jan). Art in the classroom: Making every day special. Young Children, 4–11.
ADDITIONAL READINGS Ahlberg, L. O. (1999, Spring). Understanding and appreciating art: The relevance of experience. Journal of Aesthetics, 33 (1), 11–23. Dobbs, S. M. (1998). Learning in and through art: A guide to discipline-based art education. Los Angeles: The Getty Education Institute for the Arts. Engel, B. S. (1996). Learning to look: Appreciating child art. Young Children, 51(3), 74–79.
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Feagin, S., & Maynard, P. (Eds.). (1998). Aesthetics. New York: Oxford University Press. Hjort, M., & Laver, S. (1997). Emotion and the arts. New York: Oxford University Press. Jones, L. S. (1998). Art information on the internet. Phoenix, AZ: Oryx. Junge, M. B. (1998). Creative realities: The search for meanings. Lanham, MD: University Press of America. Kiefer, B. Z. (1994). The potential of picture books: From visual literacy to aesthetic understanding. Englewood Cliff, NJ: Prentice Hall. Korsmeyer, C. (Ed.). (1998). Aesthetics: The big questions. Malden, MA: Blackwell. Matravers, D. (1998). Art and emotion. New York: Oxford University Press. Menke, C. (1998). The sovereignty of art. (N. Solomon, Trans.). Cambridge, MA: MIT Press. Oxford University (1998). Encyclopedia of aesthetics (4 Vol.). New York: Oxford University Press. Riley, G. (1998). A feast for the eyes: Evocative recipes and surprising tales inspired by paintings in the National Gallery. New Haven, CT: Yale University Press. Scruton, R. (1976). The aesthetics of music. New York: Oxford University Press. Stewart, M. (1994). Aesthetics and the art curriculum. Journal of Aesthetic Education, 28 (3), 77–88. Walker, J. A., & Chaplin, S. (1997). Visual culture: An introduction. Santa Monica, CA: St. Martin’s Press.
BOOKS FOR CHILDREN PRESCHOOL Bottner, B. (2000). Marsha is only a flower. New York: St. Martin’s Press. Bruna, D. (1998). Miffy at the museum. New York: Kodansha America. Carle, E. (1998). Let’s paint a rainbow. New York: Scholastic. Chesworth, M. (1999). Touch and feel surprises colors. Brookfield, CT: Millbrook. Cooke, T. (2000). I want a hat like that. New York: Random House. Crozon, A., & Lanchais, A. (1999). I can fly! San Francisco, CA: Chronicle Books. Daly-Weir, C. (2000). Happily never after: Tangled tales. New York: Golden Books. Diaz, J. R. (1999). Colors pop-up fun. Santa Monica, CA: Intervisual Books. Friedman, M. (2000). Get a clue! New York: Golden Books. Gibbons, G. (2000). The art box. New York: Holiday House. Gold-Dworkin, H., & Lee, D. G. (1999). Exploring light and color. New York: McGraw-Hill.
Konigsburg, E. L. (1999). Samuel Todd’s book of great colors. New York: Hyperion. Lambert, J., & Lambert, K. (2000). Colors. New York: Scholastic. Lee, K., Repchuk, C., & Hawke, R. (1999). Snappy little colors: Discover a rainbow of colors. Brookfield, CT: Millbrook. Myers, W. D. (2000). The blues of flats brown. New York: Holiday House. Pelham, D. (2000). A pop-up fantasy. Santa Monica, CA: Intervisual Books. Ringgold, F. (1999). Cassie’s colorful day. New York: Crown Books. Scarry, R. (1999). Richard Scarry’s color book. New York: Random House. Snyder, M. (1999). Colors. Phoenix, AZ: Futech Interactive Products. Strom, M. D. (1999). Rainbow Joe and me. New York: Lee and Low. Stuve-Bodeen, S. (1998). We’ll paint the octopus red. Woodbine House. Waldman, N. (1999). The Starry Night. Honesdale, PA: Boyds Mills Press. Wellington, M. (2000). Squeaking of art: The mice go to the museum. New York: Dutton/Plume. Zoller, A. D. (2000). Fish colors. Watertown, MA: Charlesbridge Publishing.
KINDERGARTEN—GRADE 3 Christelow, E. (1999). What do illustrators do? New York: Clarion Books. Colins, P. L. (1992). I am an artist. Brookfield, CT: Millbrook. Gough-Cooper, J. (1999). Marcel Duchamp: A life in pictures. Boulder, CO: Atlas Press. Hathorn, L. (1998). Sky sash so blue. New York: Simon & Schuster. Knutson, B. (2000). Colors of Ghana. New York: Lerner. Leopold, N. C. (1999). Once I was…. New York: Putnam. LeTord, B. (1995). A blue butterfly: A story about Claude Monet. New York: Doubleday. Littlefield, H. (2000). Colors of India. New York: Lerner. Lowery, L. (1999). Pablo Picasso. New York: Lerner. Martin, J. B. (1999). Snowflake Bentley. Boston: Houghton Mifflin. Micklethwait, L. (1999). A child’s book of art: Discover great paintings. New York: DK Publishing. Sweeney, J. (1995). Once upon a lily pad: Froggy love in Monet’s garden. San Francisco, CA: Chronicle Books. Weitzmann, J. P. (1998). You can’t take a balloon into the Metropolitan Museum. New York: Dial.
GRADES 4–5 Aronson, M. (1998). Art attack: A short cultural history of the avant-garde. Boston: Houghton Mifflin. Barrows, A. (1998). The artist’s friends. Minneapolis: Carolrhoda Books.
CHAPTER 4 Promoting Aesthetic Experiences
Baumbusch, B. (1999). Looking at nature. New York: STC Publications. Bedard, M. (1999). The clay ladies. Plattsburgh, NY: Tundra Books of Northern New York. Boehm, A. (1998). Jack in search of art. New York: Rinehart. Buchholz, Q., & Neumeyer, P. F. (1999). The collector of moments. New York: Farrar, Straus & Giroux. Clement, R. (1999). Frank’s great museum adventure. New York: HarperCollins. Covington, K. (2000). Creators: Artists, designers, craftswomen. Chatham, NJ: Raintree. Crosbie, M. J., & Rosenthal, S. (1993). Architecture: shapes (Vol. 4.). New York: John Wiley & Sons. Geisert, A. (1997). The etcher’s studio. Boston: Houghton Mifflin. Katz, F. E. (1997). Tuck me in mummy, (Vol. 9.). San Jose, CA: Fred E. Katz. Lantz, F. (1998). Fade far away. New York: Avon Books. Locker, T. (1999). The man who paints nature. Katonah, NY: Richard C. Owen Publishers. Morrison, T. (1999). Civil war artist. Boston: Houghton Mifflin. Morrison, T. (1997). The apprenticeship of a Renaissance sculptor. New York: Holiday House. Peppin, A. (1994). Places in art. Brookfield, CT: Millbrook. Pittman, H. C., & Raymond, V. (1998). Still-life stew. New York: Hyperion.
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Press, K. (1999). My life according to me with pens/pencils. Palo Alto, CA: Klutz Press. Robishaw, S. (1999). Rosita and Sian search for a great work of art. Cooks, MI: Many Tracks Publishing. Ross, M. E. (2000). Nature art with Chiura Obata. New York: Hyperion. Rylant, C. (1998). The Van Gogh café. New York: Scholastic. Stotsky, S. (1998). Wild and crafty. Broomall, PA: Chelsea House. Sweeney, J. (1998). Bijou, Bonbon, and Beau: The kittens who danced for Degas. San Francisco, CA: Chronicle. Vazquez, S. (1998). Diego Rivera: An artist’s life. New York: Raintree. Vazquez, S. (1997). The school mural. New York: Raintree. Venezia, M. (1997). Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec. Chicago: Children’s Press. Welch, L. N. (1997). Kai: The lost statue Africa 1440. New York: Simon & Schuster. Worcester, D. E. (1998). Cowboy with a camera: Erwin E. Smith, cowboy photographer. Ft. Worth, TX: Amon Carter Museum.
For additional creative activity resources, visit our Web site at www.EarlyChildEd.delmar.com.
SECTION 2 Planning and Implementing Creative Activities REFLECTIVE QUESTIONS After studying this section, you should be able to answer the following questions. 1. What do I know about the attention span and activity levels of the young children in my group? How will I include these in my lesson planning? 2. What can I do to improve the classroom environment for young children in my care by focusing on developmental levels and individual needs and interests of young children? 3. Is my classroom reflective of the individual differences present in the group of children using it? 4. Have I created a positive and safe physical environment for the young children in my care? What strengths and weaknesses are evident in my classroom arrangement and management practices? 5. Have I included all of the media I can that are developmentally appropriate for young children in my classroom? What changes do I need to make to improve my use of media with young children? 6. Does my classroom reflect all of the ethnic and cultural groups that are appropriate for my group of children? 7. How do I encourage independent learning and exploration in the arrangement of my room? In my lesson planning? In my choice and use of media? 8. Do I enjoy being in and teaching in my classroom the way it is currently arranged? Do the children enjoy being there? How can I rearrange it to make it more enjoyable for both myself and the children? 9. Are my room arrangement, choice of media, interest centers, and presentation of lessons enticing to the children’s interests? Do they encourage convergent or divergent thinking? 10. How will the needs of children from varying backgrounds be addressed in planning a creative and safe environment?
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CHILDREN, TEACHERS, AND CREATIVE ACTIVITIES OBJECTIVES After studying this chapter, you should be able to: 1. Ask a series of questions to better understand and work with young children’s developmental levels. 2. Discuss attention span and activity patterns as they relate to young children. 3. Discuss three aspects of the teacher’s attitude that have an impact on children’s creativity.
4. Explain the teacher’s role as facilitator in children’s creative activities. 5. List the general planning guidelines for creative activities. 6. Discuss strategies for handling transition times.
P
lanning creative activities always begins with the child. Each child is unique; each has his own way of being and his own way of responding to the world. The teacher must know what each child is like and should be aware of each child’s level of development, strengths, abilities, and special personality. With this knowledge, teachers can relate their own personalities and unique skills to those of each young child. Thus, an atmosphere is created in which both adult and child remain themselves in order to help and respect each other. Watching a child at play helps an adult understand this young person. A teacher is able to see how the child uses materials and relates to other children. Subsequent chapters will more closely relate children’s developmental levels to specific activities. In many educational experiences, and especially in creative activities, the teacher’s role is incidental to the creative process. This does not mean that the teacher is unimportant; the teacher is, instead, a facilitator. To facilitate means to help along, to guide, to provide opportunities, and to be
sensitive and caring without interfering. The meaning as used here is that the teacher allows the young child to deal directly with the materials, with the teacher acting as an aide rather than a leader or judge. Since the emphasis is on divergent thinking and not on right answers in creative activities, judging is not necessary. Yet, guidance and feedback are helpful. Because creative activities are open-ended, there are no simple standards for evaluating them. The teacher’s role, then, is one of encouraging, questioning, and experimenting. Teachers who are serious about children’s art carefully consider their role. They understand that talking with children about their art can foster children’s ability to express themselves through the arts. The The The The
mediocre teacher tells. good teacher explains. superior teacher demonstrates. great teacher inspires. William Arthur Ward
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■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ FIGURE 5–1
Watching children play may give a teacher a better understanding of each child.
CONSIDER THE CHILD DEVELOPMENTAL LEVEL In many early childhood books and journals, we often see the phrase developmental level. Generally, when we speak of a child’s development, we are referring to four major areas of growth: physical, social, emotional, and intellectual. These areas serve as a framework upon which we organize our knowledge and observations of children. These four areas combined make up the individual child. When the needs of a child are met in each of these areas in any particular activity, we can be fairly well assured that the overall growth of that child is being encouraged. Another aspect of a child’s development refers to individual differences. For example, two children may be exactly the same age but they may be performing at different levels in one or more of the areas of development. Both children may be within the normal range of development. This is called individual difference. Therefore, a teacher must not only have a knowledge of developmental levels, but must also tune in to the different levels of each child’s progress in the four major areas. A child’s ability is closely related to his level of development. If a teacher understands this, failure, and frustration, can be avoided when planning creative activities. Answers to the following questions can help adults better understand and work with a young child. ■ What is special about the child? ■ What are the child’s interests? ■ What are the child’s strengths? ■ What abilities and skills are already developed?
What is the child’s home life like? How does the child relate to adults? How does the child respond to other children? What are the motor skills (large and small muscle) of the child? How does the child express himself? How does the child speak? How are problems solved by the child? With what materials does the child enjoy working? How does the child learn? How does the teacher feel about the child?
The last question is most important. Helping children in creative activities is done through the relationship between adult and child. To think one knows a young child without realizing one’s own feelings toward the child is a mistake. How the teacher feels about a child affects how the teacher acts toward the child. An honest understanding of how one feels toward a child must be combined with knowledge of the child if the teacher is really to encourage the child’s creativity.
DEVELOPMENTALLY APPROPRIATE EARLY CHILDHOOD CLASSROOMS Using their knowledge of developmental levels, early childhood teachers are able to design developmentally
FIGURE 5–2
Planning activities that suit the developmental level of each child helps children experience a sense of accomplishment when they are able to complete an activity.
CHAPTER 5 Children, Teachers, and Creative Activities
appropriate environments for young children. Developmentally appropriate early childhood classrooms are those that demonstrate, among other important characteristics, maximum interaction among children as they pursue a variety of independent and smallgroup tasks. The teacher prepares the environment with challenging and interesting materials and activities and then steps back to observe, encourage, and deepen children’s use of them. In a developmentally appropriate environment, teachers ask thought-provoking questions and make appropriate comments (Barclay & Breheny, 1994). The National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC), in its position statement on developmentally appropriate practices in early childhood education, calls for a curriculum of active learning organized around learning centers for four- to eightyear-olds. These strategies include the following:
Developmental Characteristic 1. They are extremely active. 2. They are egocentric; full of themselves. 3. They are at varying levels of physical maturity. 4. They need a feeling of security. They frighten easily. 5. They are beginners, making many mistakes. 6. They want to feel good about themselves. 7. They are easily fatigued.
8. They are easily frustrated. 9. They have not fully developed visual and auditory acuity. 10. They develop coordination of the large muscles before they develop fine muscle control. 11. They are naturally curious if not threatened.
12. They do not distinguish play from work; they learn through play. 13. They learn through the five senses; they must experience the concrete before the abstract. 14. They do not always distinguish between fantasy and reality.
FIGURE 5–3
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■ Children select many of their own activities from among a variety of learning areas the teacher prepares, including dramatic play, blocks, science, math, games and puzzles, books, recordings, art, and music. ■ Children are expected to be physically and mentally active. Children choose from among activities the teacher has set up or the children spontaneously initiate. ■ Children work individually or in small, informal groups most of the time. ■ Children are provided concrete learning activities involving materials and people relevant to their own life experiences (Bredekamp, 1997). Thus, a developmentally appropriate environment for young children is one which empowers children to be curious, to inquire, to experiment, and to think for themselves (Figures 5–3 and 5–4).
How to Provide for the Characteristic 1. Provide opportunities for physical activity; do not expect long periods of sitting. 2. Plan a child-centered program that builds the selfimage of each child. 3. Expect and plan for individual differences in all activities. 4. Give physical and verbal assurances frequently. 5. Be patient and understanding. Environment for activities must be safe and relaxed. 6. Provide space and time for many successful activities; build their self-concept. 7. Alternate between active and quiet experiences and provide space for both. Provide a quiet area for the over-stimulated child. 8. Begin at the success level for each child; provide suitable materials. 9. Use large pictures and print; speak carefully and distinctly. 10. Use large materials. 11. Provide a rich, stimulating environment to explore in a relaxed atmosphere, with a smooth traffic pattern. 12. Include a wide variety of materials to manipulate, discover, and use to facilitate learning. 13. Provide a wealth of concrete material and activities. Verbalize after “doing.” 14. Provide dramatic and imaginative activities to allow children to “try on” roles: experiment with and sort out ideas, develop self-concept.
Providing for young children’s needs in creative activities.
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Developmental Characteristic 1. They are more centered—can concentrate for longer periods of time. 2. They are able to see another’s point of view as separate from their own. 3. They are at varying levels of physical maturity, and aware of physical differences in self and others. 4. They need a feeling of acceptance.
5. They want to feel good about themselves. 6. They are developing an ability to deal with a higher degree of frustration. 7. Visual and auditory acuity is at adult level. 8. Fine and large motor development and coordination are well developed. 9. They have “forgotten” how curious they once were. Often afraid to ask questions. 10. They distinguish work from play. They learn from books.
11. They still learn through the senses, but use fewer of them in learning situations. 12. They can distinguish between fantasy and reality. Reality is more their dominant approach.
FIGURE 5–4
How to Provide for the Characteristic 1. Provide large blocks of time to work on projects and more complex activities. 2. Provide materials on many different cultures, artists, and varied life experiences as creative inspirations. 3. Be open in discussions of physical differences. Provide a supportive environment for questioning their changing development. 4. Plan a program that allows time to discuss with individuals and in a group the fears and concerns common to the upper elementary level child. 5. Provide opportunities for many successful activities; build their self-concepts. 6. Plan activities that are more complex and challenging; be sure not to overwhelm them with difficulty. 7. Use a wide variety of auditory and visual stimuli to challenge their skills. 8. Provide a wide variety of tools, materials, techniques, and strategies to challenge them. 9. Plan an environment that encourages (even demands) curiosity. Reward them for questioning! 10. Re-introduce them to a playful approach to learning. Free-up time for playful learning, with un-scheduled time to create and have, “creative breaks.” 11. Plan activities that encourage use of all (or as many as possible) of the senses. Encourage full sense exploration across subjects. 12. Keep them working on their fantasy. Encourage imagination, “what-if” situations ,and all kinds of creative challenges.
Older children’s developmental needs and creative activities.
ATTENTION SPAN AND CHILDREN’S PHYSICAL NEEDS One must also consider a child’s attention span and activity patterns when planning creative activities; it may mean the difference between successful creative learning experiences and creative activities that dissolve into chaos.
Attention span. A general rule to remember on the length of a child’s interest (attention span) is this: The younger the child, the shorter the attention span. It is not unusual for toddlers and two-year-olds to have a maximum attention span of two to three minutes on the average. Attention span gradually increases as a child gets older, and a child of six years of age can be expect-
FIGURE 5–5
Freedom to explore materials in her own way aids the child’s creative development.
CHAPTER 5 Children, Teachers, and Creative Activities
FIGURE 5–7
FIGURE 5–6
It is far easier to work with children’s specific developmental levels, adapting as necessary to meet their changing needs and interest.
ed to attend for an average of 15 minutes maximum. A teacher may come to expect a longer attention span than is really possible, simply because the child maintains the appearance of attention. More often than not, however, young children make it quite obvious when their attention span is waning—by a yawn, a turned head, fidgeting, excess wiggling, or even by physically leaving—giving clear signs that attention to the task is “turned off.” An early childhood teacher needs to be able to read these obvious signs of lessening (or lost) attention. When they appear, it is time to move on to another topic, suggest a new activity, ask a question, do some “body stretching,” or use any other change of pace to get back the child’s interest. On the other hand, if a teacher has planned developmentally appropriate activities—those that are not too easy and present just enough of a challenge—even very young children will attend longer. Noting which activities keep the children’s interest longer and planning for their frequent inclusion in the program are good ways to work with children’s developmental needs and interests. In direct contrast, many teachers feel compelled to “forge ahead” on their lesson plans despite the children’s lack of interest or involvement. While it may be difficult to scrap one’s lesson plans in midstream, it is
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An observant teacher knows when a child is ready to move from tearing and pasting to trying out scissors.
even more difficult to try to “make” children pay attention when the activities just do not match the children’s needs and interests. As many experienced teachers have found, it is far easier to work with children’s specific needs and interests, adapting as necessary to meet their changing developmental needs. If, for instance, the interest at the art center is waning and children choose to go elsewhere when given the choice, a teacher needs to reevaluate the activities in that center to see if they are, in fact, a suitable match for the developmental needs of the children. The children might be ready to move from tearing and pasting to trying out scissors, since their small motor skills are better developed from all the previous tearing experiences. Or they may be ready for colored markers as a change of pace from crayons. The point is that by changing activities and equipment to keep them “matched” to their present developmental levels, you are helping the children attend to activities longer on their own. Young children will, however, never be bored using the same media over and over again if they have new, interesting and exciting ideas, thoughts, and feelings to express. With a store of continual, meaningful experiences to think or feel something about, children’s stores of ideas, feelings, and imagination will be constantly enriched. When there is a new thought or feeling pushing to be expressed, children will continually be challenged to find new and different ways to use the same paints, clay, crayons, paper, and markers to give form to their ideas. Think about it. Adult artists use the same materials for decades. What changes is how they use the materials and what they want to communicate (Seefeldt, 1995).
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Teachers of Upper Elementary Children—The Challenge of “Subjects” vs. “Creativity”
Teachers of children in the upper elementary grades have an especially challenging situation with regard to creativity in the classroom. There is much ado about what we should be teaching children. We hear, “Teach them basics.” “Teach them to test well.” “Teach them to resolve conflict.” “Teach them about sex.” Teach them, teach them, teach them—and make sure that their test scores show they have been taught well. But, it isn’t what should be taught that’s important. It’s what should be kept alive that deserves equal attention. And for these children—it’s their sense of wonder. Rarely have I known a child who enters his or her first school situation without a natural sense of wonder. If, while we teach, we simultaneously fan the embers of wonder and hope that existed in them as small children, can we go wrong? Ask yourself some questions. Do I teach children to read so they can test well? Or do I teach them to read so that they can have direct lines to the thoughts, hopes, and dreams of thousands of writers? Do I teach children to write so that they can have a nice piece of writing in their portfolio for next year’s teacher? Or, do I teach them to write in order to help them sprout wings and access new avenues for selfexpression? Question the reasons why you teach the things you teach. Our jobs are important. The implications of what we do go beyond the next test scores. If we lift up our reasons for teaching into what I see as the higher realms of wonder—hope and possibilities—wouldn’t test scores rise with our reasons? It’s not a question of whether or not we should teach the basics. Of course we should teach them. But let’s not sell ourselves or our students short with our reasons for teaching them.
Another approach to working with short attention spans is to plan around the expected attention span of the children in the group. For example, for a 10-minute circle time, a teacher of a group of three-year-olds would plan an average of four activities taking about two to three minutes each. This could be four different finger plays; two poems, one finger play, and one song; or two “Simon Says” games and two fingerplays. The point is to work with what you know about the group of young children with whom you are working. Another important point about attention span is its highly individual nature. Some young children of three may attend to a very favorite activity for longer than three minutes, or on the other hand, a first grader of six may not be able to attend to a language arts lesson for five minutes! In this case, you need to consider the match between the individual child and the specific activity.
Activity patterns.
A young child will generally attend better to new activities that are a good match to his present level of development, that is, activities that are neither too difficult nor too easy. It is also important to vary activities so that the new and the old are in an interesting as well as developmentally appropriate pattern for young children. A good activity pattern is one
that begins with the familiar (or favorite), reviews some other related activities, then moves on to introduce the new and different. For example, in introducing the letter “B,” the teacher may begin with a favorite song about “Buttons, the Clown.” Then she has the children identify picture cards of foods that begin with “B,” and later introduces the phoneme “b” and related written words. In a similar activity pattern, a teacher of four-year-olds begins with a favorite finger play about five little monkeys, has five children act out the monkeys, and then introduces a new book he plans to read about monkeys and their babies, which is part of a new animal unit. An activity pattern for young children also must take into account their physical characteristics. Children develop large muscle skills first and enjoy practicing these skills. They also need practice to develop small motor skills. So, activity patterns should include time for both large and small motor tasks. In the previous example, the teacher of four-year-olds included a large motor task (jumping like monkeys) with a small motor task (a finger play). Activities planned to include both types of activities in one session also help increase attention span since they include favorite large motor activities. Creative activities for young children must also have a good balance between active and quiet activities. All
CHAPTER 5 Children, Teachers, and Creative Activities
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Why Coloring Books?
Many early childhood teachers would have to admit that they use pre-drawn images which they ask the children to either add to or complete by coloring in. One 4th grade teacher I know requires an intensive book report for his class and then gives them a picture to color in for the cover! Where does creativity enter into that? Whenever I discuss this "coloring book problem" whether with students or colleagues, many of them share their experiences with coloring books and dittos and remark that coloring was and still is, a very relaxing activity. Why would this be bad for children? Dittos and coloring books are adult-generated images designed to occupy children’s time. There are times when occupying children’s time is exactly what we want to do, for example, during long car trips. Coloring in coloring books can be relaxing because children are not required to think to complete the work. In school, do we want children not to think? Activities such as these often reduce children’s ability to think for themselves and result in dependence on the teacher at a time when children should be learning independence. Teachers sometimes use these methods so they can accomplish work of their own, such as correcting homework and classroom papers. Children can become so accustomed to seeing adult-generated images that when asked to create drawings of their own, they become frustrated because their work resembles that of a child rather than that of an adult. If children become frustrated, they lose interest in drawing and the creative process.
of one type activity would not be appropriate for the developmental needs of young children. A good rule to remember here is: The younger the child, the greater the tendency to become overstimulated. So, the amount of activities for toddlers and young two-year-olds should be limited to avoid overstimulation. Activities should be added as the children can handle them. Also, in a single instructional setting (or lesson), young children of all ages need active as well as quiet activities since they have a difficult time sitting quietly for extended periods. In the previous first-grade example, the teacher could provide an appropriate balance of active-quiet activities by having children go to the board and write a “B” on it, or even walk to an object beginning with the letter “B.” This way, children’s physical inability to sit quietly is considered in the lesson. In the example of the teacher of four-yearolds, we see similar planning for the active (jumping) and quiet (listening to a story). By following the more active with a more quiet activity, the teacher is working with the physical needs of young children to be active and to rest after exertion.
Transitions from group times. Transitions from group times to the next activities can be chaotic if group times are uninteresting, too long, or too demanding. If children in a group become wiggly and uncomfortable, you can expect a difficult transition.
Even a short, interesting group time can end with a mad exodus if precautions are not taken. Consider how the teacher in the following scenario took such precautions: The teacher is showing slides to the children. Between shows, she suggests the children get up to jump and stretch to get their wiggles out. Just as she is about to start the projector again, Christine and three friends come running up to her. The teacher looks at Christine and asks, “What is it?” Christine reports, “John is bothering us. He didn’t get all his wiggles out.”
This teacher has a delightful way of labeling the process through which young children settle down and become quiet after active play or after a period of concentration. Getting rid of wiggles on demand is seldom an easy process. Each child has her or his own way and time to achieve quiet, as this scene so nicely demonstrates. A group of young children without wiggles would be cause for concern. A healthy group of children needs a patient teacher, one who can accept the various ways in which individual children respond to the request for quiet. Another suggestion for preventing chaotic transitions from group times is to share the day’s schedule
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with the children at the beginning of the day. This way they know what will happen. Any special rules may need to be reviewed. Then as each activity begins and ends, reminders will suffice. “Do you remember what we are going to do after our story today?” “When we get ready for our walk we will need to get our coats. How can we do that without bumping into each other when we leave the circle?” When children help with the plans and participate in setting the limits, they are more apt to understand, remember, and be willing to help enforce the rules. Do not forget to give positive reinforcement when things go well, not just reminders when someone fails to remember. However, positive reinforcement should not become so automatic or mechanical that children begin to doubt its sincerity. Some genuine response—a smile, pat, or word—is always more effective than a stock phrase.
Transitions to free choice times. A key strategy for avoiding mad dashes at the beginning of free choice times is the assurance that children will have ample time for their favorite activities. If free choice time is too short or few activities are interesting, some children will run to grab their chosen activity. Others will flit about aimlessly and not bother to start anything because they know they will have to stop soon. It is important to have enough interesting things to do and to use a system that allows children to select a second activity if the first is not satisfactory. Children who are bored or frustrated during free choice time are rarely cooperative when it is time to clean up. A free choice time that is too long, on the other hand, will give you tired children who are no longer constructively busy and are ready to misbehave. It takes flexibility and a good eye for the quality of work and play to know the right amount of time for free play.
Transitions to group times: back together. Moving into a group time is often facilitated by a little advance publicity. It builds interest to have something in a bag and as the children ask about it, say, “I’ll show you at group time.” Children will look forward to group times in which they have a chance to show their block building, artwork, or the book they have drawn and stapled. The morning planning time can give advance notice of exciting things to come, and reminders can keep interest alive throughout the day. From the first arrival at group time, there should be a teacher or classroom assistant in place to be with the children. Trying to control behavior at a distance is always hazardous and never more so than during a transition. Sometimes teachers let children look at books until all are ready for storytime or music. When the last
things are put away at cleanup time, the teacher walks over to the rug and says, “Time to collect the books.” Some children have just arrived and have opened the cover of their favorite storybook. Some children are in the middle of reading their favorite book. Some children may resist and some might cooperate, but they will all be left with the feeling that the teacher does not value books except as a tool to keep them quiet. You might try this different approach. When all the children are seated and looking at books, sit down with the children. You may share books with some of the children or just wait for a reasonable period of time. Then you may give a warning that it will soon be time to put the books away. As children finish, collect their books and allow others to finish while you begin the discussion or possibly a fingerplay to occupy those who are through. When most books have been collected, then you may have your group activity. This process respects children and their interest in books.
CHILDREN’S SOCIAL-EMOTIONAL NEEDS
Expressing emotions. Creative activities are usually unstructured, allowing for individual freedom and expression. Deep feelings or strong emotions often occur when young children are involved in creative activities. The important job that the teacher has at such times is to help the child find acceptable ways to express these feelings. Flexibility and a broad range of available creative activities facilitate this. If given the chance, free from outside judgment, children usually let the materials and their fantasies take care of the emotions they are feeling. They may pound clay, throw a puppet, or crumple paper to vent anger. Or they may kiss a puppet, stroke the clay figure, or gently paint on paper to show affection. In this way, the children can let go of the feeling when it occurs. They can then go on to create and involve themselves in other productive activities. If one child interferes with other children when expressing emotions, the other children’s responses may be enough to help the child stop and adjust. If the child still cannot stop or adjust, then the teacher may have to help out. The teacher should respect the child’s feelings, but show that there are limits to what the child can do. In no way does this mean punishment. It means helping a child to know limits (setting them when necessary) and then helping the child to channel emotions in a more positive direction. Such behavior problems demand creative responses from the teacher. A disciplinary situation usually requires divergent thinking on the part of the adult.
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Some guidelines for directing young children’s behavior are presented in Figure 5–8. It is important that young children learn that there is nothing wrong with having feelings. It is the way in which they are expressed that may cause problems. If children think that feelings are bad or wrong and must not be felt, they are likely to hurt themselves emotionally. They may develop defenses that stop them from feeling good about themselves, being open to others, and trusting themselves or others. A young child should learn that the expression of some feelings can hurt others and must understand that it is the means of expression and not the feeling itself that may be harmful. Thus, children learn they have freedom to feel and to accept feelings as part of themselves. They also learn FIGURE 5–9
While playing with other children, a child learns to respect other’s feelings.
1. Establish limits with the children. State rules in
2. 3. 4. 5.
6.
7. 8.
9.
10. 11.
12. 13. 14.
positive terms. Involve the children in making rules. Use a signal for attention—bell, piano, flicker of lights, etc. Finger plays can be effective to get attention in a group situation. Use a well-modulated voice. Never try to outshout a group. Give advance notice when changing activities so children can finish what they are doing; avoid abrupt changes. Keep an eye on all ongoing activities. Do not become totally involved with one activity or child, unless it is a total group activity. Plan with children so they know what to expect. Give the necessary directions for an activity, then stop; check for understanding; be specific and don’t talk too long. Follow their interests. (If a bulldozer is outside your window, drop your plans and go watch it.) Be firm, consistent; set clear, reasonable expectations. Have reasonable, predictable consequences. (When a child throws blocks, he is removed from that area.) Involve the children in rulemaking. Provide a cleanup system. (Have attractive containers, color-coded items for correct location.) Involve the children in periodic reflection on an evaluation of their activities. Use positive reinforcement when children follow directions, attend to signals, and participate in activities, cleanup, etc.
FIGURE 5–8
Tips on guiding young children’s behavior in creative activities.
that they do not have freedom to express feelings in any manner without regard for others. To help you evaluate your own ability to relate to the feelings of young children, consider the self-evaluation checklist presented in Figure 5–10.
Competition. Young children naturally compare their work to others and seek their teacher’s approval. However, they do not naturally try to be better than one another, make fun of another child’s work, or try to be the best at what they do. This is learned. It may be learned from parents, brothers and sisters, or other adults and children. It is not to be learned from their teacher. At such a young age, creative growth is not encouraged in a competitive atmosphere where to win or gain approval, a child must learn to meet another person’s standards. At this age, children are beginning to learn about themselves. It is as harmful for a four- to fiveyear-old as it is for a 4th or a 5th grader to try to please others in activities meant for exploring and wonderment. It hinders self-growth. It puts pressure where pleasure should exist. Instead of complete involvement in the materials and task, children manipulate the task to gain something outside of it. Discovery is sacrificed for recognition, and insight, for approval. This is too great a cost for a child of any age. A teacher must respect a child who has a competitive approach. Not only is it learned behavior, but it may be a chosen value of the child’s parents. Teachers do not have the right to change parents’ values in children without the parents’ permission. But teachers do have a right to their own values. They do not have to reinforce competition in young children in the classroom.
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Put a check in front of all the statements that apply to your working with young children’s feelings: ___ 1. Respect the feelings of a child. ___ 2. Do not reject a child. ___ 3. Do not criticize or reprimand a child in front of others. ___ 4. Use a positive approach—encourage at all times. ___ 5. Keep anecdotal records of significant and specific acts. Be objective. ___ 6. Always have a stimulating classroom environment: books, bulletin boards, centers of interest, tools of interest, equipment, and materials. ___ 7. Do not make a crisis of everything. ___ 8. Keep my voice low, clear, and firm. Do not shout or raise my voice. ___ 9. I am fair, unemotional, and calm. ___ 10. Avoid being placed on the “defensive”— do not argue with children. ___ 11. Discuss actions, not personalities. ___ 12. Believe that punishment is not always the answer. ___ 13. Do not show negative feelings toward a child. I try to always let him know that I like him. ___ 14. Do not make quick judgments or diagnoses. ___ 15. Do not accuse or threaten, because I might have to carry out something that is impossible or impractical. ___ 16. Use the principal or center director as a resource person. Make no major decisions without her guidance, suggestion, and approval. ___ 17. Request outside resource help. Do not “do it alone.” ___ 18. Listen more than I talk. FIGURE 5–10
Self-evaluation checklist: Dealing with the feelings of young children.
CONSIDER THE TEACHER/CAREGIVER ATTITUDE Attitude is basic to facilitating creative activities with young children. Some teacher attitudes and ideas that help facilitate creative behavior in young children include the following:
FIGURE 5–11
Teachers encourage creativity by letting children discover their own best way of doing something.
Avoid telling the child the best way to do things. To tell a child the best way implies, first, that the teacher knows it; second, that the child does not know it; and third, that the child has to ask the teacher in order to know the next time.
Be concerned about what children are doing—not about the final product. In creative activities, young children are in a process—playing, drawing, painting, building. Although they are interested in mastering tasks and producing things of which they are proud, they are not like adults. The final product may not be as important as experimenting, as using their minds and senses while doing it. That is why young children often build a complex structure with blocks and then take great joy in knocking it over. They want to see what happens! Older children enjoy the process of creating as well as younger children. However, older children will show more concern for the product, which is natural at this developmental level. Encouraging an open, “what-if?” approach to creative activities will help the older child concentrate on the process as well as the product.
Tolerate small mistakes. When children do not
Resist the temptation to always have quiet and order. Silence may not be the spirit of joy.
have to worry about being perfect, they have more energy to be creative.
Cleanliness may not be the companion of discovery. Timing and flexibility are all important in these matters.
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Get involved. The teacher who is painting, drawing, and working beside the children, or accompanying them on a field trip or a walk, is a companion and friend. To the children, the activity must be worth doing if the teacher is doing it too. This helps motivation and is a legitimate entry into the children’s world. Besides, it’s fun! Be careful, however, not to cause the children to copy what you are doing. Be sure to “slip away” before this happens.
STRATEGIES FOR SUCCESS Teachers plan creative activities with the children’s needs and interests in mind. In addition to assessing whether the planned activity is developmentally appropriate for a particular group of children, there are some general planning guidelines to follow that will help ensure the success of these activities. PREPARATION Often, teachers attempt a creative activity that they have not experienced before. They may have read about it in a book, heard about it from a friend, or seen it at a workshop. They try it because they feel it should work and the children should gain something from it. Often it does succeed, but sometimes it does not. The unfortunate part is that when it does not, the teacher may not know whether it was because of the activity itself or the way it was prepared for and offered. For any activity, especially for a first-time experience, the following suggestions may be helpful:
Try the activity before presenting it to the children. Do this physically, if possible, or else mentally. Sometimes things sound better than they really are. The children should experiment, not be experimented on.
Make sure all necessary equipment is present. Too few scissors, paints without brushes, and paper without paste can cause a great deal of frustration.
Think through the activity. Review in your mind (and on paper) the best way to present the activity, step-by-step.
Modify the activity, if necessary, to meet the developmental needs of the children. Few activities are right for all cultures, all situations, or every type of child. All teachers must be sensitive to this.
In as little time as possible, explain the activity so that the children know how to begin and proceed. For this part, rules are not necessary, but understanding is.
FIGURE 5–12
An early childhood environment should encourage children’s free expression.
After the children have started, circulate among them. Offer suggestions where helpful, and answer questions as needed. Try to let the children answer their own questions as well as solve their own problems. The teacher’s role remains that of a facilitator. PRESENTATION OF CREATIVE ACTIVITIES The success of any creative activity is influenced by how it is presented, which in turn is affected by how prepared the teacher is for guiding the children in the activity. In planning for each activity, the teacher should: ■ identify goals for the activity. ■ identify possible learning from the activity. ■ list the materials necessary for the activity. ■ determine how to set up the activity. ■ decide how to stimulate the children and how to keep their interest alive. ■ anticipate questions the children might ask. ■ plan ways to evaluate the activity. ■ consider follow-up activities. ■ consider cleanup time and requirements. A broad range of creative activities should be included each week. This gives children a variety of choices to suit their many interests. Not only should each curriculum area be highlighted, but certain types of behavior should also be considered. Dramatic play, creative movement, singing, outdoor activities, and small group projects should all take place within each week.
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Fragile! Speak to with Care
The way a teacher speaks to and with a young child can mean the difference between the child’s positive feelings of self and those not-so-positive feelings. The following suggestions may be helpful to you as you work with young children, helping them grow, as you cherish their uniqueness. 1. Before speaking to children, get their attention. Putting your hand on a child’s shoulder or speaking the child’s name helps. Always get on the child’s eye level. 2. The younger the child, the simpler your statement should be. 3. Act as if you expect your words to be heeded. Young children are influenced by the confidence in the adult’s tone and action. 4. Give children time to respond—their reaction time is slower than yours. Try not to answer your own questions! 5. Tell children what they can do rather than what they cannot do. Use positive rather than negative suggestions or statements. 6. Give only as much help as is needed, and give simple directions. Use manual guidance to aid verbal suggestions with young children. 7. Use encouraging rather than discouraging statements: “You can do it,” not “Is it too hard?” 8. Use specific rather than general statements: “You need to put on your socks, now your shoes,” not, “Put on your clothes.” 9. Use pleasant requests rather than scolding: “You will need to pick up your materials now,” not, “Get those things picked up.” 10. Use substitute suggestions rather than negative comments: “Use that pencil from the drawer over there,” not, “Don’t use that.” 11. Give a choice between two things when possible. You may say, “Will you wash your face, or shall I help you?” This means the child will be washed in any case. Never give a choice where there is none, such as, “Do you want to wash?” when washing is necessary. Try not to say, “Would you like to _____________________?” if you do not intend to abide by the child’s choice. 12. Remember to show disapproval in what the child does when necessary, but never disapproval of the child. You can say, “You are a good climber, but you will need to climb on the jungle gym. This roof is not solid enough.” 13. Working with a child—trying to tell or show the child how to do it alone—is better for learning than doing it for the child. 14. Keep your promises to children. For example, if you say you will let someone have a turn later, be sure to offer that turn as soon as you can, even though the child may have found another activity. Let the child decide whether to leave the present activity to take a turn. 15. Encourage children to use language (to replace physical force, crying, whining, etc.) to communicate their problems, needs, and wishes. 16. Children learn through example. Many things, such as manners, are “caught,” not always necessarily “taught.”
Do not move too fast when presenting new ideas or activities for young children. They need time to create and explore with new materials. For the very young child, even more time may be needed. Activities should be repeated so that the children learn new ways of approaching the material and expand their understanding through repetition. Purposely leave out specific art
activities in the classroom for several days so that if a child does not want to try it the first day or the second day, it gives her another chance. Proper sequencing should be given close attention. Activities should build upon each other. For example, some children may want to taste, feel, and smell an apple before they draw or paint one. Once a child is
CHAPTER 5 Children, Teachers, and Creative Activities
FIGURE 5–13
A young child is always learning new ways to approach materials. Always allow time for children to explore new media and repeat activities with familiar materials.
involved in a creative activity, a few words of encouragement may be all that is needed to keep the child interested. It is useful to watch for children who are having problems. A little help may be needed to solve a small problem. Children need enough time to finish an activity. Be sure children are not stopped just when they are beginning to have fun. At the end of each day, the teacher evaluates the day’s activities. Ideas for the next day can be revised or created based on what then appears best. What were the successes of the day? How interested were the children in what they were doing? What did their conversation and play indicate? What does the teacher feel like doing? The key words are question, think, feel, decide. A person who works with young children must always be open to new information and feedback. COMPLETING A CREATIVE ACTIVITY The importance of evaluation has already been mentioned. Before the teacher has time to evaluate, however, some other things may be required. Finishing an activity involves cleanup. Young children can be very helpful with this. It is important to remember that this is a learned behavior. They acquire good habits if the teacher takes time to teach them and serves as a model to them. Young children usually want to help out and enjoy feeling needed. A place to start is to arrange the environment so that it is easy as possible for the children to control the necessary cleanup. This can be done by having towels handy for spills and keeping cleaning materials nearby
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for children’s use. If they are to take care of their own possessions such as paints, smocks, and paste, then hooks and shelves must be located near where they work. Children can put away materials when they clearly understand where the materials belong. The teacher may ask different children to be responsible for taking care of items such as the wastebasket and art supplies. This is done on a rotating basis to guarantee fairness. Children think of this as a privilege if the teacher responds with enthusiasm and gratitude for the help. Give children ample notice (at least 10 minutes) of the approach of cleanup time, giving them second and third reminders after about 5 and 9 minutes. Teachers can circulate around the room giving quiet notice, which seems more effective than flicking lights or making other signals. It may seem reasonable to insist that the children who are involved in an activity are the ones who must clean it up, but the result of this may be an early flight from the block corner by those whose grand building used all 500 blocks. Some cleanup tasks are so timeconsuming that they may cause children to decide never to play in that area again. These tasks need help from adults and from other children (who will themselves be helped when they play in that area another day). Since blocks take a long time to organize on the shelves, it may take a 15-minute advance warning to get them all put away at the same time that the rest of cleanup chores are completed. Or you may need to allow some adults and children to finish that task after the next activity has begun, waiting to begin anything particularly fascinating until they are finished. The next activity after cleanup should be interesting to the children and anticipated with enthusiasm, or you will have lots of dawdling with the cleanup process! Completing an activity is important to young children. They finish something with a sense of accomplishment. The teacher has to allow time for individual differences in finishing creative activities. All children cannot be expected to work at the same rate. Sometimes it is fun to leave something purposely undone until the next day. The children are usually excited to return and finish their efforts. It is also important to remember that children stop when they are satisfied with what they have produced. Stopping is not an easy step in the creative process. The art of stopping proclaims, “This is the best I can do.” The more confident children are in the expressive art activities, the easier it is for them to acknowledge their decision to stop. Teachers of young children realize that the decision to stop must be the child’s. To ask a child who has stopped working to add to what has been created or to
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evaluate the item for reworking would violate the child’s creative integrity. The teacher will know that some children will stop because they are not satisfied with their work, because they are tired, or simply because they do not want to finish the product. Therefore, it is important that we do not confuse stopping which takes place as part of the creative process with stopping that occurs for other reasons. The creative process ends when the child desires to stop. The final phase of the creative process—stopping—usually comes abruptly. The child may say, “I’m done,” with a tone of finality tinged with satisfaction (Lasky & Mukerji, 1980).
SUMMARY Planning creative activities for young children begins with an awareness of the young child. There are many questions to ask about the child, the child’s environment, and the teacher’s own feelings in order to plan properly. The teacher’s plans need to take into consideration: (1) the children’s needs and interests; (2) their developmental levels; and (3) the available materials and resources. Other considerations in planning creative activities are children’s attention spans and activity patterns. A teacher should have reasonable expectations of how long young children can be attentive in certain activities and should know how to supervise these activities so that there is a good balance between active and quiet ones. Although young children naturally compare their work with other children, competition is not necessary or helpful in creative activities. It is important that young children learn that personal feelings are normal and acceptable. Sometimes the expression of these feelings may cause problems and, therefore, may need modification. Sensitive answers to the questions, “How is the child being creative?” and “How does the child feel about it?” can help guide the teacher in facilitating creative behavior. Teachers also need to consider their own needs, interests, skills, and abilities when planning activities for young children. Their attitude is crucial to the success of any creative activity. In creative activities, the teacher’s role is to facilitate creative expression. This generally means having a knowledge of children’s developmental levels and skills, a sensitive and caring attitude toward them, and a willingness to help them interact with materials. It means guidance without interference or judgment. To ensure the success of creative activities, careful planning is essential. Also, attention and thought must
be given to the manner in which the activity is to be presented, the children’s interest sustained, and the activity completed. Once the creative activity is finished, its success should be evaluated in terms of individual and program goals.
KEY TERMS activity pattern attention span developmental level
facilitate individual differences
LEARNING ACTIVITIES A. Check the list of attitudes found in this unit that facilitate creative behavior in young children. 1. Choose one example of each from your personal life in which you demonstrate the attitude. 2. Decide whether this is an attitude you already possess or one that you need to work on in order to improve. 3. For those attitudes that need improvement, consider how you plan to go about doing this. B. There are strategies that teachers use to create a good climate for creative activities. There are other factors that may cause a child’s creativity to be hindered by a teacher. 1. Make a list of five do’s and don’ts for creative activities in the early childhood setting. 2. If possible, compare and discuss your list with those of your classmates. 3. Observe a head teacher who is supervising a creative activity in an early childhood classroom. What does he or she do to facilitate the children’s expression of creativity?
ACTIVITIES FOR OLDER CHILDREN (GRADES 4–5) Using the information in this chapter on planning and presentation of creative activities, plan a creative activity for one of these pairs of groups: a) three-year-olds and 3rd graders, or b) four-year-olds and 4th graders. In your activity plan, include the following: ■ developmental needs of the children ■ attention span ■ physical ability ■ activity level ■ appropriate materials ■ appropriate motivation
CHAPTER 5 Children, Teachers, and Creative Activities
CHAPTER REVIEW 1. Discuss the ways you can plan activities to match a child’s attention span. 2. List at least two ways you can plan activities to match the young child’s activity level. 3. List ten important questions that should be asked in order to better know and work with young children. 4. With regard to young children, discuss the difference between having feelings and expressing feelings. 5. Define facilitator as it applies to the teacher involved in creative activities for children. 6. List the necessary steps in preparing for a creative activity. 7. Discuss strategies for handling transition times. 8. Discuss the term developmental level.
REFERENCES Barclay, K. H. with Breheny, C. (1994, September). Letting the children take over more of their learning: Collaborative research in the kindergarten classroom. Young Children, pp 33–39. Bredekamp, S. (Ed.). (1997). Developmentally appropriate practice in early childhood programs serving children from birth through age 8 (Rev. ed.). Washington, DC: NAEYC. Lasky, L., & Mukerji, R. (1980). Art: Basic for young children. Washington, DC: NAEYC. Seefeldt, C. (1995, March). Art: A serious work. Young Children, 39–44.
ADDITIONAL READINGS
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Chard, S. C. (1997). The project approach: Managing successful projects. New York: Scholastic. Chen, J. Q. (Ed.). (1999). Project spectrum: Early learning activities. Washington, DC: NAEYC. Day, M. (Ed.). (1997). Preparing teachers of art. Reston, VA: NAEA. Dunn, P. (1995). Creating curriculum in art. Reston, VA: NAEA. Elliott, M. J. (1998). Great moments of learning in project work. Young children, 53(4), 55–59. Gregory, D. (1997). New technologies and art education: Implications for theory, research and practice. Reston, VA: NAEA. Helm, J., Beneke, S., & Steinheimer, K. (1998). Windows on learning: Documenting young children’s work. New York: Teachers College Press. Hubbard, R. S. (1998, September). Creating a classroom where children can think. Young Children, 53(5), 26–31. Kaiser, B., & Rasminsky, J. S. (1999). Meeting the challenge: Effective strategies for challenging behaviors in early childhood environments. Washington, DC: NAEYC. Mardell, B. (1999). From basketball to the Beatles: In search of compelling early childhood curriculum. Westport, CT: Heinemann. NAEA Task Force. (1994). Exemplary art education curricula: A guide to guides. Reston, VA: NAEA. Neugebauer, B. (Ed.). (1998). Alike and different: Exploring our humanity with young children (Rev. ed.). Washington, DC: NAEYC. Nyman, A. L. (Ed.). (1996). Instructional methods for the artroom. Reston, VA: NAEA. Nyman, A. L., & Jenkins, A. M. (1999). Issues and approaches to art for students with special needs. Reston, VA: NAEA. Spodek, B., Sarachi, O. N., & Pellegrini, A. D. (Eds.). (1998). Issues in early childhood educational research. Yearbook in Early Childhood Education (Vol. 8). New York: Teachers College Press.
Barclay, K. H., & Breheny, C. (1994, Sept.). Letting the children take over more of their own learning: Collaborative research in the kindergarten classroom. Young Children, 33–39. Chard, S. C. (1997). The project approach: Making curriculum come alive. New York: Scholastic.
For additional creative activity resources, visit our Web site at www.EarlyChildEd.delmar.com.
CREATIVE ENVIRONMENTS OBJECTIVES After studying this chapter, you should be able to: 1. Describe an appropriate physical environment for creative activities for young children. 2. Discuss the main considerations involved in setting up activity centers. 3. List and describe interest centers that encourage children’s creativity and developing skills. 4. List six factors that are important when selecting equipment to be used in creative activities for young children. 5. List five safety factors to be considered in the early childhood environment.
T
he setting in which a creative activity takes place is very important. Young children are very aware of negative mood and environment. A dark room or crowded space can have much more effect on them than a rainy day. The arrangement of space and the type of equipment provided have dramatic impact on a child’s creative experiences.
PHYSICAL SPACE: GENERAL GUIDELINES A positive physical environment is one of the keys to the success of the creative activities that take place within it. Some basic guidelines to consider when evaluating the physical space in early childhood programs are the following: ■ Satisfactory acoustics help communication. Therefore, curtains and carpets should be used to help eliminate noise, as well as add beauty and comfort.
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Wall colors should be selected that add to the light available in the room. Yellow and other light colors are good. It is best if walls are washable at least as far up as children can reach. ■ Floors should be easily cleaned, suited to hard wear, comfortable for children to sit on, and should deaden sound. Some suitable floor coverings are linoleum, carpets, and rubber or plastic tiles. A carpeted section of the floor makes possible a comfortable arrangement for group activities without the need for chairs. ■ Proper heat, light, and ventilation are important. Remember that children live closer to the floor than do adults, and that warm air rises and is replaced by cooler air. It may be helpful to install a thermostat or thermometer at their level so you can be aware of the temperatures they are experiencing. However, it must also be remembered that children of all ages are more active than adults and that they may not feel cool at temperatures that may be uncomfortable for you.
CHAPTER 6 Creative Environments
■ Consider the source of natural light in the room. Children are likely to be more comfortable if they do not face directly into strong sunlight when they work. ■ Running water and sinks are a must for preparing and cleaning up after some creative activities. They should be near the area where they are needed. In spaces where sinks are not available, a fresh bucket of soapy water and a sponge along with paper towels for cleanup will suffice. ■ Easy-to-reach storage space for equipment that is in daily use should be provided so that children learn to put their things away. ■ Chairs should be light enough for the children to handle and move without too much noise. Since the chairs are used at tables for creative activities, the kind without arms should be used. ■ There should be some tables that accommodate from four to six children for group activities. Rectangular tables are better for art activities involving large sheets of paper. Some small tables designed to be used singly or in combinations are quite versatile. Tables with washable surfaces such as formica are best. ■ Shelves should be low and open and not too deep, so that children have a chance to see, touch, and choose materials independently. Shelves that are sturdy but easy to move are more flexible in room arrangement and help create interest centers.
FIGURE 6–1
SAFETY FACTORS Special consideration should be given to safety in the physical environment. Some important safety checks are the following: ■ Be sure that all low window areas are safe. ■ Beware of and remove toxic, lead-based paints and poisonous plants, particularly berry-producing plants. ■ Be sure that commercial or teacher-made materials are safe for children. Read labels—they may indicate the materials are toxic. Ask yourself: Will the item be likely to cause splinters, pierce the skin, or cause abrasions? Will the attractive glitter stick under fingernails? Are the fumes from a spray irritating? Will a two-year-old child’s tongue-test transfer color from the object to the mouth? ■ Teachers who first try new materials for creative activities will become aware of applicable safety factors. Most young children can learn to be careful workers when they understand hazards. A teacher, when discussing how to use scissors, might ask,
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Children need space for creative activities.
“How can you hide the point in your fist so that it cannot hurt anyone while you are walking with it?” Two- and three-year-old children will usually need to have adults set rules, for example, “Clay is for modeling, not for eating.” Children four years of age and older can cooperatively decide on rules and regulations for safe handling of tools, materials, and equipment. However, older children may still need verbal reminders or simple signs. Cover hot pipes and radiators. Insert protective coverings over all electrical outlets. A pronged cover, available at hardware and electrical supply stores, is made especially for this purpose. Install door knob locks that only adults can use in areas prohibited to young children. These are available at hardware stores. Also, install high knobs on cabinets within prohibited areas. Check the facility to make sure that there are no hooks, hangers, or other sharp objects that protrude, especially at child’s level. Make sure that there are adequate exits provided in the event of a fire or other emergency. Check to see that fire exits, fire alarms, smoke detectors, and fire extinguishers are in working order and are placed appropriately in the classroom.
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ARRANGEMENT OF SPACE AND EQUIPMENT The arrangement of the space in an early childhood program also has an effect on the safety and success of the creative activities for which it is used. Adults need to consider a number of factors in planning for the arrangement of equipment (Figure 6–2). CHILDREN’S AGE AND DEVELOPMENTAL LEVELS The age and developmental levels of the children using a room dictate how that room should be arranged. A group of two- and three-year-olds, for example, would do quite nicely in a simple, small, enclosed space. At this age, children may be overwhelmed by too large a space or too much equipment in it. Yet, as their large motor skills are developing rapidly, the space should be big enough for active, large motor activities. Here is where balance is very important. Also, as coordination is not well developed yet, the space should be as uncluttered as possible since children aged two to three years fall, stumble, and slip quite a bit. In contrast, a five-year-old has better coordination due to a more centralized center of gravity and doesn’t fall as frequently as a two- or three-year-old. More equipment in a room will not present a space or safety problem for the five-year-old. Yet the space still needs to be large enough to allow for five-year-olds to run, jump, climb, and pretend. In organizing space for young children, then, there should be enough open space for the children to move around safely and comfortably at their level of physical coordination and to work together cooperatively and freely. Approximately 40 to 60 square feet per preschool child is recommended. Middle and upper level elementary students can and need to work in a much larger area than younger children. A larger working space allows for their larger physical size as well as for providing room for various student groupings that naturally arise out of project work, which is an appropriate instructional method for this age group. SUPERVISION Another consideration in arranging space for young children is the supervision of that space. Open play spaces should not be so large that it becomes difficult to supervise the children properly. A common technique is to divide the space up into interest centers or activity areas with limited numbers allowed at each
FIGURE 6–2
Sample classroom arrangement using interest centers.
center. (Interest or activity centers are discussed later in this chapter.) When breaking up the space in such a way as to facilitate supervision, using low, movable barriers, such as child-level bulletin boards, bookshelves, or room dividers provides a clear view of the area and permits a more flexible use of the space itself.
FLEXIBILITY Space should be kept as open and flexible as possible so it can be adjusted as the children grow, develop, and change in their needs. Your early childhood program certainly should not look the same on the last day of the year as it did on the first day of the year! The early childhood environment must reflect the young children in it—changing and developing along with them. In response to children’s growing ability to deal with more concepts, additional equipment, supplies, and interest centers need to be incorporated in the room. Conversely, materials, equipment, and even whole cen-
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about where it should be placed. They wisely considered safety and noise factors in making their decision. Older children can actually help move desks, tables, and other equipment to carry out their own space reorganization plan.
PERSONAL SPACE
FIGURE 6–3
An early childhood program organized around activity centers encourages creativity by giving children many opportunities to play, experiment, and discover.
ters need to be removed to storage when the children have outgrown them. This same idea holds true for older children in middle and upper elementary grades. The classroom that never changes is boring and a less-thanstimulating learning environment for these children. In a flexible environment, space can easily be rearranged to fit these new centers without major renovations.
In the early childhood years, children are not only growing physically and intellectually, but are developing their sense of self. For this reason, it is very important to plan space in such a way that each child has a place of her own. Having a place of one’s own to keep personal belongings, extra clothes, artwork, and notes to take home helps encourage a child’s developing sense of self. A snapshot of the child used to label the personal space is a good way, too, of assisting the growth of a sense of self. A snapshot removes all doubt that the place is private property even before a child has learned to recognize her name. Each child needs to be able to count on having a place belonging only to her. It is only by firmly establishing an understanding of ownership that a young child learns about sharing. Having a cubby of one’s own helps the child learn about possession and care of self, which are both basic to a growing sense of independence. If there is not enough space for individual cubbies, labeled dishpans, clear plastic shoeboxes, large round ice cream containers, or even plastic milk crates can be used. Making personal space important recognizes each child’s personal needs. This says to the child, “You are important.”
TRAFFIC FLOW Even when increasing activity options in a room, space should be as free as possible to allow the traffic to flow between activities. For example, the traffic flow should not interfere with activities that require concentration. A language arts/reading or book corner is more likely to be used by children if it is away from the noise of people coming and going. The block corner, too, will be used more often if it is planned for a space that is free from interruption and traffic. Older children will enjoy an arts center that is situated in an area where they can concentrate and work without a lot of interruptions (i.e., away from the door or other heavy traffic areas). Involve children in arranging space. Sometimes children as young as four years of age, as well as older, may help determine where particular centers should be located and the reasons for such decisions. For example, a kindergarten teacher, introducing the woodworking bench, held a discussion with the children
FIGURE 6–4
Clear plastic storage containers work well as children can see the contents and know where things go after play time.
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FIGURE 6–5
Working on the floor with materials and their storage containers nearby helps at cleanup time.
In developing a positive self-concept, young children also need privacy. Besides respecting a child’s private cubby, the space should be arranged so that there are quiet places to be alone. Especially as a child grows intellectually, she needs space and time to reflect and think. Quiet places to be alone encourage this reflection where a child can enjoy his own thoughts, his own mental perceptions of the world. Older children have no less need for privacy and personal space. The classroom needs to have a designated space where a student’s need to be alone is respected.
ACTIVITY/INTEREST CENTERS One approach to fostering creative activities and use of materials is to provide as part of the environment activity or interest centers and to identify activities and materials for each, based on the group of children in the class. An activity or interest center is a defined space where materials are organized in such a way that children learn without the teacher’s constant presence and direction. It is a place where children interact with materials and other children to develop certain skills and knowledge. Activities in each activity center are planned by the teacher according to the developmental needs of the children (Patillo & Vaughan, 1992). Learning centers are a place where children learn through direct interaction with other children and their environment. In centers, children learn through doing in an environment carefully prepared for their personal and active exploration. An early childhood program organized around activity centers encourages creativity by giving children
FIGURE 6–6
Activity centers with materials in good condition, neatly arranged, and placed far apart on open shelves, tell a child that materials are valued and important enough to be well cared for.
many opportunities to play, experiment, and discover as they engage in activities that help them with problemsolving, learning basic skills, and understanding new concepts. In activity centers, young children can manipulate objects, engage in conversation and role-playing, and learn at their own levels and at their own pace. For the young child, most educators and experts recommend the following interest centers:
FIGURE 6–7
Art activities work best near a source of water for clean-up, as do cooking and some science activities.
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Art area.
A place for painting, collage-making, cutting, pasting, chalking; it should be located near water and light and away from large motor areas (Figure 6–8).
Housekeeping/dramatic play center.
A place for acting out familiar home scenes with pots, pans, and dishes. A place to “try out” social roles, real-life dialogues, and “grown-up” jobs.
Block-building area.
A place where children can create with both large and small blocks, tinker toys, logs, Legos®, etc.
Manipulative area. A place to enhance motor skills, eye-hand coordination, and mental, language, and social skills through the use of play materials such as puzzles, pegboards, and games.
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Science/discovery center.
A place to learn about nature and science. Here, children can display what they find at home or on nature walks, for example. It is a place to discover, explore, and ask questions.
Music center. A place for listening to audiotapes, singing, creating dance, and playing musical instruments.
Books and quiet area. A place to be alone, quiet in one’s thoughts, and to explore the world of books.
Sand and water play area. A place to learn through sensory experiences with sand and water, such as floating and sinking experiments; weighing, measuring, and comparing quantities; building boats; drawing letter shapes and numbers in the sand; experimenting with food coloring and water; and making buildings in the sand.
CLASSROOM PLANNING FOR ARTWORK The way you plan for and display children’s artwork tells the children a lot about how much you value their work. Here are some suggestions on how to manage children’s artwork in a way that shows children you value their work. Plan your artwork exhibits so they reflect children’s ideas and experiences. Ask children to help select the items to be displayed. They may want (or have you) write down why this particular work is meaningful to them. For instance, they like the medium, color, or subject. Make interesting groupings of children’s art work. Feature a specific theme, stress a particular color, or highlight a special medium. Display artwork outside, as well as inside, the classroom. Use the hallway and stairwell walls and other flat surfaces, such as doors, for your gallery. Exhibit artwork in various stages. Include photos of the work in progress for documentation so others can enjoy the process, too. Place artwork at children’s eye level. Label the displays with large, easy-to-read letters and make up simple, but catchy titles. Older children can make up these titles as well as cut out or write them out for the display. Handle work respectfully. Let the children know that you appreciate and value their skills and creativity. Frame or mount their work attractively. (Use backgrounds with contrasting colors and interesting texFIGURE 6–8
Classroom planning for artwork.
tures, such as burlap or corrugated cardboard.) Encourage the young artists to sign their own names. Be sure not to write on their work without permission. Take dictation on a separate strip of paper. Older children may want to write a short statement to accompany their work. Showcase work in exciting ways. Instead of stapling work to bulletin boards, hang pictures with clothespins from clotheslines. You can use tree branches to display mobiles. Create a free-standing kiosk with four display sides from a cardboard refrigerator carton. A cardboard, folding, pattern-cutting board can be used to display art on both sides. Arrange special areas for fragile or three-dimensional work. Supply stable shelves or low tables to display wire and clay sculptures or woodwork. Use cardboard “shadow boxes” for added emphasis and protection. Provide individual display space. Have each child choose her own small area of a bulletin board that has been divided into sections. Let her select and change dated samples to document her growth. Organize a space where parents can collect artwork. Designate the top compartment of the child’s cubby as the “art shelf” or create an art “mailbox” from a large, partitioned, cardboard beverage carton turned on its side. Use cardboard mailing tubes to send home rolled-up artwork to prevent folding, creases, and tears.
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The social studies center: People and places. A special area to study about families, different cultures, ethnic groups, community awareness, specific occupations, and lifestyles.
Woodworking center. An area that provides the opportunity to develop large and small muscles by working with wood in sanding, gluing, fastening, drilling, and sawing.
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Outdoor play area. A natural learning environment where activities from indoor learning areas can be extended. Appendix C lists materials for each of these centers. A teacher can certainly add other interest centers to this list. The sample room arrangement in Figure 6–2 shows how interest centers can be designed. Again, it is a suggestion, to be adjusted to the needs of the children. ■ DECISIONS ABOUT ACTIVITY AREAS: WHERE AND WHEN Before setting up activity centers, you have to make a number of decisions about which centers to use, when to use them, and where they can best be placed in the classroom. Some of the questions to be addressed include the following: ■ Will centers be offered all day, every day; part of the day; or only some days of the week? The ideal choice is to offer activity centers for a large block or blocks of time every day at approximately the same time. This lets children plan ahead, make choices,
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and get involved in activities. It allows teachers initially to structure learning centers throughout the room and gradually add centers, remove centers, or modify centers during the year. What room features offer potential settings for centers? You can make creative use of walls, floor, chalkboards, tables, and nooks and crannies. Should there be limits on the number of children using any specific center? If so, how will this be determined, and how will children know what the limits are? Activity centers need to be planned so children can work individually or in small groups of various numbers. The size of a small group of children at any center is determined by the amount of materials available, the purpose of the center, physical space considerations, and the need to avoid overstimulating confusion. Signs with stick figures and numbers can indicate the number of children who can use a specific center. What kinds of centers will provide a workable balance in terms of content? This will depend on the characteristics of the children and staff. How free should movement in and out of the centers be? Ideally, children should move at their own pace, guided by the teacher. This allows for more individualization within the program. How will children know what to do in each center? Some centers will require more direction than others. You may want to use pictures or symbols for routine directions (hands with a faucet of running water to remind children to wash; aprons on pegs to facilitate art and cooking cleanup without having to mention it). Each time a new center is added or a center is modified, you will need to help children understand the rules related to that specific center (Myers & Maurer, 1987).
CONDITION AND ORGANIZATION OF MATERIALS WITHIN THE ACTIVITY CENTER
FIGURE 6–9
In organizing areas for young children, there must be enough open space for children to move around in safely and comfortably at their level of physical development.
Activity centers with materials that are in good condition, arranged and placed far apart on open shelves, tell a child that materials are valued and important enough to be well cared for. What kind of message does a child get from crowded, open shelves with a mixture of materials and broken or missing pieces? What kind of message does she get from torn books? Young children work best in a predictable environment where materials are organized and can be found repeatedly in the same place. Organizing materials can
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FIGURE 6–10
Floors should be sanitary, easily cleaned, suited for hard wear, and comfortable for children to sit on.
help children develop self-help skills and self-control, as well as helping them learn to respect materials and use them well. For example, cutouts of tools or other equipment help children learn to identify materials and return them to the proper place. Organizing open storage shelves by labeling them clearly with pictures and words makes it possible for children to find materials they want to work with. When shelves are clearly labeled with few objects on them at a time, putting things back in place becomes an easier task for young children. Labeling, too, can be done in the block area by cutting out the shapes of the blocks in colored Con-Tact® paper and pasting them on the back and shelves. Clear labeling of shelves helps even very young children become independent in the use and maintenance of their environment.
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arrangement, children should understand the system for selecting toys and replacing them in the right containers. Visual cues, such as putting red oilcloth on the storage tables and white oilcloth on the play tables, help children remember the organizational principles and keep the environment functional. Convertible or multipurpose spaces will have to make use of many portable activity boxes. This is also the case in small classrooms or in day care programs in public schools where space is shared. An individual activity box includes all the materials needed for a particular activity—related books and pictures, reminder cards with relevant questions for the teacher, rhymes, games, and songs. For example, a firefighter prop box might include firefighters’ hats, hose sections, several books about firefighters, and a ball. The children would use the props and other items in the box as a mini-center of sorts. The teacher would integrate the center into the program by using the questions, books, reminder cards, and other activities prepared as part of the instructional plans for that particular activity. Activity boxes can be used outdoors or indoors, either in response to requests by the children, or as part of the teacher-prepared activities. Activity boxes can be made up with all the materials needed for science experiences, such as a sink-float game, or for a cooking activity. Various objects commonly found in an early childhood center environment, such as blocks and beads, can be organized into sorting, matching, or seriation games and kept in separate boxes.
ORGANIZATION OF ACTIVITY CENTERS IN CONVERTIBLE SPACES Many early childhood programs operate in multipurpose facilities. In family day care homes, day care centers in churches, and public school day care programs, equipment must be packed up for storage after school or over the weekend. If materials are packed up and stored frequently, movable shelves that are ready for use as soon as they are rolled into place and unlocked are helpful. If shelves are not available for material storage, tables or boxes may be used. Whatever the
FIGURE 6–11
Equipment for creative activities should encourage children to work together.
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Hints for a Smoother Daily Program
If you, like most teachers, are always looking for ways to improve the daily operation of your program, you may want to think about using some of the following general hints: ■ For a change of pace, convert an empty shelf in a bookcase into a cute “dollhouse.” Just attach wallpaper or giftwrap to the inside walls and glue on a fireplace, doors, windows, and other decorations. Put a carpet square on the bottom of the shelf, add doll furniture, and you’re ready. For a two-story house, use two shelves. ■ Store small books easily and neatly in plastic napkin holders. These can be found at discount stores and even at garage sales. ■ When odd parts of toys and games turn up around the room during the day, forget trying to return them to their proper place each time they are found. Instead, make a special container just for toy and game parts. A zipper-type plastic bag works well for this purpose. Not only will this save time during the day, but you will always know where to look if a part is missing. ■ To preserve posters, pictures, and other items you want to last from year to year, cover them with clear Con-Tact® paper. The items will be easier for the children to handle, and dirt and finger marks can be wiped off easily. ■ Spray new puzzles and gameboards with clear varnish (outdoors and away from the children, of course). You’ll find they last much longer. ■ Empty food boxes used in the housekeeping corner and for other learning games will be sturdier if you stuff them with newspaper and then tape them shut. Be sure to brush all crumbs out first. ■ When sanitizing furniture and fixtures with bleach and water, put the mixture into an empty window cleaner spray bottle which has been thoroughly washed and dried. The spray bottle is easy to use, and it will protect your hands from the harsh bleach. ■ Instead of using tape to hang paper shapes on a wall with a hard finish, try sticking them on with dabs of toothpaste. The toothpaste can be washed off the wall when you change decorations. ■ When a child paints a picture that you want to display on a wall, attach the paper to the tabletop with masking tape. The tape keeps the paper from sliding during painting, and when the child has finished, you can unpeel the ends of the tape from the table and use them to retape the painting to the wall. ■ To make taking home artwork as well as notes to parents easier and more efficient, have the children make Pringles® can “purses”. (You may have to make them for younger children.) Use a Pringles® can for each child. Cover the can with Con-Tact® paper. On opposite sides of the can make two small holes 3 4 inch from the top. Take the ends of the string and push through the inside of the can. Tie a big knot on each end. Replace the lid. Have each child write his or her name on their can. Teachers just roll papers; and place inside the can. Children place the can around their neck like a necklace, or hold it like a “purse.” No more lost papers!
SELECTION OF EQUIPMENT FOR CREATIVE ACTIVITIES The kinds of equipment available to young children can either promote or discourage creative expression. If equipment is to encourage creative activities, it should have certain characteristics.
CHARACTERISTICS OF APPROPRIATE EQUIPMENT
Simple in design. Too much detail destroys children’s freedom to express themselves. Crayons, blocks, clay, sand, paints, and even empty cardboard boxes are examples of simple, but useful, equipment for young children.
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Versatile. Equipment should be usable by both girls and boys at their developmental level for many kinds of activities.
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far longer through vigorous printing use by this age group.
In proper working order. Nothing impedes creStimulating. The equipment should be the kind that allows children to do things and motivates them. If adults must supervise children every minute that they are using the equipment, this may hinder creativity. Long explanations on how to use the equipment should not be necessary.
ativity more than things that don’t work. Do a daily quick check-up on equipment to see that it’s in good working order. Older students can help with this inventory and write down a “To Do” list of specific repairs needed. Even better, select materials that are the best quality you can afford. It’s cheaper in the long run.
Large and easy to use. Because of the growth of
Available in proper amounts. Too many toys or
muscles during this time, very small equipment can cause young children to become anxious. Big trucks and wagons are just right. Large, hollow blocks are better than small, solid ones.
too much equipment can decrease the effectiveness of those materials. Too many blocks can overwhelm a child and he may never start to build. Equally frustrating is too few blocks to complete a creation. Work for a balance in amount of equipment.
Durable. Breakable equipment soon is broken by two- to five-year-olds. Equipment made of hard wood such as maple is less likely to splinter than equipment made of soft wood such as pine. Rubber-wheeled riding toys are preferred to those with wooden wheels. For older children as well, durability of equipment is important. For example, a higher quality roller will last
Designed to encourage children to play together. Many pieces of equipment are designed for one child to use alone. However, children need to work together and find out what others are thinking and doing. Therefore, equipment designed to get children together should also be provided.
Take Your Cue from Colors: Using Color Coding in Activity Centers A tried-and-true method for helping children function independently and successfully with activity centers is the systematic use of color and symbols. Children can quickly learn a color-coding system even if they do not yet know how to read. Colors and symbols can be used to identity activity centers, to manage children’s movement in and out of centers, and to let children independently find and replace assigned materials. Special symbol and color codes help children identify and locate each center. The symbol identifies what is learned in the center. The color code helps children easily locate the center in the classroom. For example, the art center’s symbol might be a paintbrush and its color code red. A card would be hung at the entrance to each center with its corresponding symbol and color code. To manage traffic in and out of the centers, the card at the center’s entrance would also indicate the number of children allowed in the center at one time. It could be a number of stick people or the actual numeral, depending on the children’s knowledge of written numbers. That corresponding number of color-coded clothespins would be attached to the bottom of the card. For example, the art center might allow ten children and thus have ten red clothespins. The clothespins are children’s “tickets” to the centers. Children must pin on the clothespin when they enter the center, wear it while using the center, and replace it on the card when they leave. When no clothespins are on the card, the center is full, and children must choose another activity until a clothespin is available.
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Safe. Safety is a key consideration in selecting equipment for young children. Among the safety factors to consider are whether the equipment is developmentally appropriate (for instance, you would not select for 1 1⁄2-year-olds toys that are small enough to be swallowed easily), whether nontoxic and nonflammable materials were used in the manufacture of the equipment, whether the materials have any sharp edges or rough areas that could cause injury, and whether the physical environment allows for the safe use of the equipment. (Appendix F provides more complete information on appropriate toys and equipment for early childhood programs.)
Other considerations. In selecting equipment and materials for creative activities, keep these additional considerations in mind: ■ Do not choose a material or piece of equipment because it looks “cute” to you. Instead, select each item with some developmental purpose in mind. For example, ask yourself, “What contribution will the item make to the growth of small or large motor skills of the children? How will it help a child’s intellectual growth? Her self-esteem? Will it encourage the growth of social skills?” ■ Resist the temptation to buy inexpensive merchandise as a matter of course. Select equipment that is sturdy and durably constructed, as it will get hard use. In the long run, one high-quality, durable item will last longer and be more cost effective over time than an item that is less expensive but poorly constructed. ■ Consider each new item of equipment in light of what you already have. Work toward a balanced environment, one with many sources of creative expression: working alone, in pairs, in small or large groups. In addition to equipment for large and small motor skills, select items that appeal to the sensory motor explorations of young children. Equipment should be stimulating to see, interesting to touch, and satisfying to maneuver. This applies to older children as well. ■ Purchase all major equipment in child-size, rather than doll- or toy-size. It is also important to have real-life and adult-sized equipment where appropriate. Real hammers and screwdrivers in a smaller adult-size (and not toy tools) work best in construction projects. ■ Consider the total number of children and how many at a given time are to use the equipment. Ten two- or three-year-olds need a basic supply of equipment. Add several more children, and you may need more blocks, more cars and trucks, etc.
Also consider the age of the children in the group. Because young children spend much of their time in egocentric (solitary) play or parallel play (playing next to but not with another child), there must be enough blocks, people, animals, cars, and dishes to allow several children to engage in similar play at the same time. Yet another strategy is to have duplicate or very similar copies of favorite items on hand.
SUMMARY To ensure the proper environment for creative expression in young children, careful attention must be given to safety, amount and organization of space, light, sound, and furniture. Planning the environment in the early childhood program involves knowledge of children’s needs, as well as attention to traffic flow in the room, children’s developing skills, and safety. Arrangement of personal space for each child also needs to be planned. A balance between teacher planning and children’s self-direction is necessary. Interest or activity centers help children make their own choices. The placement and organization of the various activity centers have an impact on how creative materials within them are used by children, how safe the environment is, and how children’s self-help skills are encouraged. Since creative activities are so important in promoting children’s development, careful attention must be directed toward the selection and care of creative materials and equipment. The best equipment is simple in design, versatile, easy to use, large, durable, working properly, available in needed amounts, designed for group play, and above all, safe. It is also important that equipment be stored properly so that children can reach it easily, thereby developing their self-help skills.
KEY TERMS activity centers interest centers
LEARNING ACTIVITIES A. Choose one activity center from the list provided in this unit. Design your own unique version of this activity center. Describe it in detail. List the items and activities it would include.
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B. Draw an ideal room plan for creative activities. Imagine you have all the money, materials, and space necessary. Be creative. After drawing it, list what you feel is important in it, starting with the most important feature. Share this list with classmates and discuss it. C. Using small blocks or any other similar object, show how you would arrange space in a room to ensure smooth traffic flow and noninterference among interest centers in the room. D. Go through a school supply catalog. Find examples of furniture, shelving, and play objects that you would include in planning your “ideal room” in the activity preceding. E. Obtain a toy and equipment catalog or go to a toy store. Make a list of materials that would be useful for children’s play. Imagine that you have $1,250 to spend on equipment. Make a list of items you would purchase. Assume you may not go over the $1,250 amount.
CHAPTER REVIEW 1. List ten items to consider in creating a positive physical environment for young children. 2. Discuss the considerations and requirements involved in setting up activity centers, including convertible centers. 3. List the major considerations involved in arranging space in the early childhood setting. 4. List five interest centers that early childhood experts recommend be available for the creative expression of young children. Describe what skills are developed in each. 5. Name at least five important factors when selecting proper equipment for young children’s creative activities.
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6. Discuss some safety precautions to consider in choosing equipment.
REFERENCES Myers, B. K., & Maurer, K. (1987, July). Teaching with less talking: Learning centers in the kindergarten. Young Children, 20–27. Patillo, J., & Vaughan, E. (1992). Learning centers for child-centered classrooms. Washington, DC: NAEYC.
ADDITIONAL READINGS Dighe, J., Calomiris, Z., & Van Zutphen, C. (1998). Nurturing the language of art in children. Young Children, 53(1), 4–9. Hubbard, R. S. (1998, Sept.). Creating a classroom where children can think. Young Children, 53 (5), 26–29. Jones, E., & Nimmo, J. (1994). Emergent curriculum. Washington, DC: NAEYC. Miller, S. A. (2000, Jan.). Managing children’s artwork. Scholastic Early Childhood Today, 16. Moyer, J. (1995). Selecting educational equipment and materials: For school and home. Wheaton, MD: Association for Childhood Education International. Opitz, M. F. (1994). Learning centers: Getting them started, keeping them going. New York: Scholastic Professional Books. Wellhousen, K. (1999, November). Big ideas for small spaces. Young Children, 54 (6), 58–61.
For additional creative activity resources, visit our Web site at www.EarlyChildEd.delmar.com.
USING MEDIA TO PROMOTE CREATIVITY OBJECTIVES After studying this chapter, you should be able to: 1. State the meaning of the terms media, software, and hardware. 2. List at least five characteristics of developmentally appropriate computer software. 3. List four reasons why media should be used with young children. 4. List the four basic types of children’s Web sites.
T
he term media refers to materials used to enhance the learning experience in early childhood programs. Media may be the machines used to see movies or hear tapes or the materials used in an art project, such as clay or paint. Items that are used with machines, such as films, records, or computer disks, are also considered media. Specific types of media will be explored in specific units within this text. This unit will serve as an introduction to the hardware and software used as creative media with young children. Because most machines are made of metal, they are collectively referred to as hardware. Films, tapes, and computer disks, as well as most other items used in conjunction with hardware, are called software. Thus, the computer is the hardware and the disk is the software.
IMPORTANCE OF USING MEDIA Media serve a number of purposes in the early childhood program:
They provide variety in the program. Some children’s learning is enhanced when they view a film or hear a tape. The total early childhood program must meet the needs of a variety of children. Therefore, the program must have a variety of activities for each child. Using media is one more means of meeting the children’s needs.
They provide children with highly interesting learning experiences. Media help children learn facts, learn to enjoy the school setting, and develop skills—particularly creative skills.
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They get children involved in the creation of materials. Experiences with media involve children in hands-on activities creating materials with cameras, tapes, recorders, and other such hardware.
They build on and reinforce other activities. Working with media allows children to express, as well as practice, what they are learning in yet another way. This helps reinforce a child’s learning.
ACTIVITIES TO DEVELOP CREATIVITY Media provide variety, interest, involvement, and reinforcement. One of the most important things they provide is a chance for a child to develop creativity. The creativity comes when children design, manipulate, and express themselves in media experiences. VIDEOTAPES AND MOVIES It is possible for children to plan and produce videotapes of class activities. They can videotape dramatic presentations, dancing, field trips, and other activities in and around the school. VIDEOTAPE Today, fairly inexpensive videotape equipment is available to schools. It is lightweight, portable and easy to use. Videotape can do all the things that movies and slides do, and it is less expensive to use. Videotape can be reused. Mistakes may be erased. Children see the results of their work right away. Video can be used with dramatic play activities: a play can be videotaped; a children’s art show can be recorded. Some children enjoy telling stories or retelling favorite events. Playtime games can be created and taped. Many portable units can be taken on field trips. Videotapes made on field trips can be used to spark creative storytelling and the creation of new games. When children get tired of a videotape, it can be erased and reused. Thus, although the cost of hardware is high, the cost of software is relatively low. Movies can be obtained by renting them or on a free loan basis. These movies can then be used to introduce creative activities. Creative dramatics can begin with a movie. The movie can introduce a story and some characters. At the proper time, the movie is turned off, and children take the parts of the characters. The children then create their own ending to the story, painting and drawing their own creative versions.
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PHOTOGRAPHY Young children enjoy taking pictures. Using an inexpensive camera, they can take shots of many different activities, objects, people, or whatever they find interesting. A 35mm camera with a built-in flash for indoor and outdoor use is the least expensive and easiest for children to use. Taking photographs is yet another way for children to experience their world. It is especially interesting and challenging for children in the middle and upper elementary grades. An interesting approach to photography with upper elementary grade children is to focus on common themes generated by the teacher or the children. Some of these might be: pictures of special people or places, pictures of people or places that make you happy or even unhappy. Children can journey around the school to document the images in their mind’s eye. As teachers watch young children taking their first photos, they can’t help but reminisce about their own first experiences taking pictures. Do you remember the excitement you felt when you took your first pictures of your world? As almost by magic, you had a way to capture those special people and events in your life. With your camera you could make memories from today for tomorrow and forever. Photography has been described as a medium that is partly a language, but it creates a resonance with thoughts, feelings, and creativity that goes beyond verbalization (Savage & Holcomb, 1999).
Photography is an outlet for self-expression that has potential for all ages. This is due in large part to the low cost and simplicity of many cameras, which allow even the novice to take well-focused pictures. Children can share the special world of their school with others through pictures and words. It is important, especially with younger children, to keep responsibilities simple. Explain that taking pictures is a fun activity and children can take pictures of whatever they would like to remember about their experiences at school. For example, a class of second graders came up with these ideas: happy places, happy people, special places, and special people. With older children, you may be a bit more abstract. For example, a class of 4th graders could be asked to take pictures of friendship in as many images and ways they can find. However, don’t provide specific guidelines for what they photograph. Let the child be the leader. Plan to spend some time explaining and demonstrating how to take a picture—how to load the film,
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frame the picture, activate the flash, and so forth. Leave the cameras (without film) in the art center, and let the children practice with them. After they have practiced taking pictures (without film) for a while, the children will be ready to really use the cameras. When children are taking photos for the first time, a teacher or another adult needs to be on hand to help if needed, with the mechanics of opening the case, loading the film, looking through the viewfinder, advancing the film, and answering questions as they may arise. When children are out taking pictures, be sure they have notebooks and pencils with them to record where each picture was taken and its significance. So that the children do not forget what they have photographed, they need to write a note keyed to the exposure number about each picture right after they take it. The notes can become stories later. Be certain that the students understand that their personal impressions are what you want them to describe. Although children will need some help, it is important to remember that you are just an observer. Have children move independently as they photograph their school world. If they prefer to stay inside, be sure the flashes work. Be prepared to provide technical assistance, which with most inexpensive cameras is minimal. Finally, share in the children’s enthusiasm as they enjoy the new found pleasures of a unique learning opportunity. (Savage & Holcomb, 1999). CASSETTE TAPE RECORDERS Small cassette tape recorders that are inexpensive and easy to use are available to all schools. Young children use these recorders with few problems, recording their own voices just for the fun of it. They can also record common sounds, creative plays, and made-up stories and songs. OVERHEAD PROJECTORS These are lightweight machines that project pictures and words on a screen. Light must pass through the film or plastic being projected. The projectors rest on a tabletop and project onto a screen. Overhead projectors can be used to help children develop creativity in many ways. The machines can be used to project silhouettes (shadows) on a screen, a creative way for children to learn names of shapes. The children can create their own shapes and project them on the screen. Children can make their own transparencies of pictures and drawings on pieces of clear plastic. The transparencies are made by drawing on a piece of clear plastic with a grease pencil or by using a
FIGURE 7–1
Playing CDs and singing along provide relaxing, yet creative, fun for children.
special copy machine. Pencil line drawings, some pictures, and words are easily copied onto the plastic transparency. The transparency is placed on the overhead stage and projected on a screen. Creative sketches can be enlarged and shown to groups in this way. Creative stories can be built from pictures shown on the overhead screen; sketches made by a child may be used for this purpose. COMPACT DISCS AND DISC PLAYERS Compact discs (CDs) and disc players are becoming more and more common in early childhood classrooms. CDs are played on a CD player, much like a cassette tape is played on a cassette tape player. CDs are also used in computers, providing sound effects and narration on early childhood computer software. Music played on a CD is of a higher quality sound than most cassette tapes. Playing recorded music, then, on a CD is an excellent source of musical experiences for young children.
VALUE OF COMPUTERS IN EARLY CHILDHOOD PROGRAMS Computers have found their way into the preschool setting, taking their place beside the finger paints, play dough, books, and other media found within the early
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even in threes and fours. It’s very different from the adult experience of computing” (Mills, 1994). ■ Computers can be interactive. The term interactive here means that the computer used with young children provides a vehicle for two types of interaction: child-to-computer and child-to-child. Child-tocomputer interaction depends to a great extent on the software. Some software requires children to choose one response, which is then corrected. Other programs have been developed that allow children to use information on the screen to make more than one response.
FIGURE 7–2
Playing with new software on the computer is fun for children.
learning environment. Computer programs have been developed for young children that allow them to produce colorful graphics, music, and animated graphics. Children of the twenty-first century will use computers as an integral part of their daily life. Yet, children who are plugged into computers to do drill and practice engage in convergent thinking. In fact, these programs are just another version of convergent dittosheet-like work. It is important to realize that using computers with young children is a process of exploration and discovery for both you and the children. How you use computers the first year in your classroom will probably be very different from how you use them five years later. Based on recent research, some general conclusions about the value of computers with preschool and other children in early childhood programs may be made: ■ Computers can be used effectively with young children. Researchers have consistently observed high levels of spoken communication and cooperation as young children interact at the computer. Compared with more traditional activities, such as puzzle assembly or block building, the computer elicits both more social interaction and different types of interaction. For example, young children initiate interactions more frequently and engage in more turn taking (Clements, Natasi, & Swaminathan, 1993). “When they use these new (software) programs, children are thinking, doing all the things we would like children to do,” says Sue Bredekamp, director of professional development at the National Association for the Education of Young Children in Washington. “And for young children, computers are really a social activity. Children will interact in pairs,
Child-to-child interaction at the computer depends on the arrangement of the environment. When children work near each other by the computer, they discuss what they are doing and assist each other as they work. Some software is also designed for, or lends itself better to, participation by more than one child. (See end of chapter for suggested software for children.) The teacher and the software together also make a difference. For example, the teacher encourages cooperation by placing two chairs in front of the computer, suggesting that children work in pairs, and encouraging them to establish cooperative goals or to converse as they work on projects. ■ Placement of computers can encourage childrens’ learning. The ideal placement of the computer center is in a visible location. The monitors are situated so that they can be seen from throughout the classroom (Haugland, 1997). Children are interested in
FIGURE 7–3
Working with computers can be an interactive experience for children.
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what’s happening in the computer center, although they may be working in another center. All of this stimulates peer mentoring, social interaction, language development, and cooperative play. In addition, a highly visible computer center enables you to supervise the computer center without leaving the area in which you are working. You need to move to the computer center only when it is necessary, to assist children, or you can ask another child who is not busy if he or she is willing to help. This help encourages children’s independent learning as well as peer teaching. ■ Age and computer use. Age doesn’t appear to be a limiting factor in computer use. Even two-year-old children can work proficiently on the computer using age-appropriate software that requires only simple keypresses or pointing with a mouse. Preschoolers can easily start the computer, load disks, type on the keyboard, and understand pictorial cues. ■ Children prefer action. Just as in other aspects of their play, children like action with computers, and they do not necessarily choose to follow the rules of games. They watch what happens when they press new keys, and they purposely may try to squash all the keys at one time. One of the strengths young children bring to computer use is their fearless experimentation!
2. Child control. Children are active participants, initiating and deciding the sequence of events, rather than reactors, responding to predetermined activities. The software needs to facilitate active rather than passive involvement (Clements & Swaminathan, 1995). The pace is set by the child, not the program. 3. Clear instructions. Since the majority of preschool children are nonreaders, spoken directions are essential (Yelland, 1995). If printed instructions are used, they are accompanied by spoken directions. Directions are simple and precise. Graphics accompany choices to make options clear to the children. 4. Expanding complexity. Entry level is low; children can easily learn to manipulate the software successfully. The learning sequence is clear; one concept follows the next (Vartuli, Hill, Loncar, & Caccamo, 1984). The software expands as children explore, teaching children the skills they are ready to learn. Through the expanding complexity of the software, children build on their knowledge. 5. Independent exploration. After initial exposure, children can manipulate the software without adult supervision. 6. Process orientation. The process of using the software is so engaging for children that the product
A good environment for young children includes many experiences that involve the senses, adult-child and child-child conversation, and a host of other ageappropriate activities. Computers can supplement, but do not substitute for, experiences in which children can discover with all their senses. Only after a sound, basic program has been developed should preschool and kindergarten teachers consider buying a computer. First should come blocks, sand and water tables, art materials, books, and all other proven elements of a good program for young children.
CHOOSING SOFTWARE FOR YOUNG CHILDREN Care must be taken to select computer software that is developmentally appropriate for the children who will use it. The following ten criteria distinguish software that is developmentally appropriate: 1. Age appropriateness. The concepts taught and their method of presentation reflect realistic expectations for young children.
FIGURE 7–4
Following the story in a book while listening to the tape is an excellent audiovisual activity that encourages emerging literacy.
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Give Your Software an IQ Test
When testing a new program, look for these features. The program should: Track the child’s progress. Many new programs that ask a child to type in his or her name can also keep track of what a child does over time. The next day when a child signs in, the computer will go to the child’s electronic bookmark, rather than make her start from scratch. (Beware of software that asks a child to sign in but then doesn’t store any information!) Also check if the program has an “adult section” where the teacher can view student records. Automatically find a child’s level. When you test the program, first answer all the questions correctly and see if the challenge level increases. Then, try a lot of random guessing to see if the challenge level drops. The best programs will adjust automatically and permit children to select their own level. Provide appropriate help. You can tell a lot about software by how it responds to incorrect answers. The best programs first give players another try and then help children find the correct answers on their own. (For instance, the number of choices may be reduced, or a “tutor” may point out a clue.) Poorly designed programs do nothing at all. Tell the children how they’re doing. Children love to compete with themselves. Smart programs don’t keep secrets about performance. They might award accomplishments with items to collect and perhaps print out, or with clues to a hidden mystery. Give children a feeling of ownership. The best software makes the child feel as if the program has been created just for her. Some programs enable players to customize the characters in the program or hear their own name spoken to them. They may also provide time-sensitive messages. For example, when a child signs in for the third or fourth time, the program might say, “Welcome back” (indicating it knows you’ve been there before) or “Would you like to try something new?” From Scholastic Early Childhood Today, January, 2000 issue. Copyright 2000 by Scholastic Inc. Reprinted by permission of Scholastic Inc.
becomes secondary. Children learn through discovery rather than being drilled in specific skills. Motivation to learn is intrinsic, not the result of praise, smiling face stickers, or prizes. 7. Real-world representation. The software is a simple and reliable model of some aspect of the real world, exposing children to concrete representation of objects and their functions. 8. Technical features. The software has high technical quality that helps the young child pay attention. It is colorful and includes uncluttered, realistic animated graphics. There are realistic sound effects or music that corresponds to objects on the screen. The software loads from the disks and runs fast enough to maintain the child’s interest. 9. Trial and error. The software provides children many chances to test alternative responses. Through resolving errors or solving problems children build structures and knowledge. 10. Visible transformations. Children have an impact on the software, changing objects and situations
through their responses (Haugland & Shade, 1988). In this list, it is important to note that software may have a developmental approach to learning without having all of the criteria. Some software has more developmental criteria than other software. You need to choose the software that includes as many of the above criteria as possible.
THE INTERNET AND EARLY CHILDHOOD PROGRAMS Many rich educational opportunities await children on the Internet, and its potential is primarily untapped. While the Internet has been researched less extensively than software (due to its more recent development), it provides children with a variety of learning opportunities that appear to enhance problem-solving, critical thinking skills, decision-making, creativity, language
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Are Young Children Ready for Computers? What Research Tells Us. Although questions about the use and effectiveness of computers in education are raised at all levels, these questions are debated most passionately about the early childhood ages (birth through eight). Are young children physically and cognitively ready to use computers? The following short summaries of research in the area of computers and young children will answer some of these questions. ■ How Young? Many researchers do not recommend computer use for children younger than three. These experts feel that computers do not match the learning style of children under three (Haugland, 1999; Elkind, 1998; Hohman, 1998). Children younger than age three learn through their bodies. Computers are not a good choice for the developmental skills these children are learning to master: crawling, walking, babbling, talking, toilet training, and making friends, to name just a few. ■ Equity: Girls and Boys. When boys and girls are four and five years old, the amount of time they spend at computers is not significantly different (Haugland, 1992). Yet when children reach 4th grade, significant differences emerge: boys spend more time at computers than girls do. (Haugland, 2000). ■ Characteristics of Children. Do any characteristics distinguish preschoolers most interested in using computers? They tend to be older and to show higher levels of mental maturity. They show higher levels of vocabulary development, yet they do not differ from less interested peers in creativity and social development (Hoover & Austin, 1986; Haughland, 1992). ■ Social Development. Computers enhance children’s self-concept, and children demonstrate increased levels of spoken communication and cooperation. Children share leadership roles more frequently and develop positive attitudes toward learning when using computers (Clements, 1994; Cardelle-Elawar & Wetzel, 1995; Adams, 1996; Denning & Smith, 1997; Haugland & Wright, 1997; Matthews, 1997). ■ Other Areas of Development. The potential gains for kindergarten and primary children from using computers are tremendous, including improved motor skills, enhanced mathematical thinking, increased creativity, higher scores on tests of critical thinking and problem solving, higher levels of what Nastasi and Clements (1994) term effectance motivation (believing they can change or affect their environment), and increased scores on standardized language assessments. In summary, we know from the research that computers are neither perfect nor a problem. Young children do not need computers any more than they “need” any of the many other learning centers. There is, however, nothing to lose and potentially rich benefits to acquire through appropriate use of computers with young children.
skills, knowledge, research skills, the ability to integrate information, social skills, and self-esteem (Haugland, 2000, p. 13). The sheer volume of Internet sites is overwhelming. Since most have not been reviewed in print, you will need to check out any sites before you use them with children. There are four basic types of children’s Web sites: information, communication, interaction, and publication.
example, a virtual trip to the zoo gives children opportunities to see pictures, hear animal sounds, and view movies of animals exploring their natural habitats. The National Zoo (www.si.edu/natzoo/) from the Smithsonian Institute is such a Web site. A virtual tour of a dinosaur museum (wf.carleton.ca/Museum/7.html) is another possibility. Another example is taking an online tour of Italy to learn more about the children’s electronic pen pals from Rome.
INFORMATION SITES COMMUNICATION SITES Enhanced with sound and videos, information sites are rich reference resources that teachers and parents can use to model or assist children in answering questions, making new discoveries, and building knowledge. For
At communication sites children interact with friends, relatives, or classrooms across the street, in another city, or even across the globe. Using simple e-mail
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PUBLICATION SITES The Internet can be used as a resource for actually publishing children’s work. Even three-year-olds can understand that when their work is displayed on the Internet everyone in the world can see it. Imagine their pride! Motivation for learning is sparked as they create new pictures and stories. There are a number of Web sites that post children’s work, such as KidPub (www.kidpub.org/kidpub/). FINALLY, A NOTE OF CAUTION!
FIGURE 7–5
Working with computers encourages cooperation among children
addresses, children and classroom groups write letters, compose stories, create poems, or work on a class project such as a virtual monster. At the virtual monster Web site (www.2cyberlinks.com/monster.html), four classrooms provide descriptions of one physical feature each of a creature. Then they draw their monsters— composites of the four features—and compare the results! Afterward, some of the classrooms continue to learn cooperatively, exploring other topics such as weather patterns, summaries of their favorite stories, and so on. Also through e-mail children can ask “experts” questions in various disciplines. Two examples are Ask Dr. Math (forum.swarthmore.edu/dr.mth/) and Ask an Astronaut (www.nss.org/askastro/home.html). These provide classrooms not only with the answers to questions, but also with the opportunity to explore a variety of occupations.
While the potential of the Internet is tremendous, some precautions need to be addressed. Anyone can place anything on the Internet, some of which may be harmful to young children. A screening device is essential, such as Kid Desk: Internet Safe (1998), Net Nanny (www.netnanny.com), or Cyber Patrol (www.cyberpatrol.com). It is critical that children understand they cannot share any personal information such as their last name, address, phone number, or parents’ names for their own safety. It is probably best for children to use a pen name when on the Internet—the name of their dog, cat, or favorite stuffed animal. (Haugland, S., Early child classrooms in the 21st century: Using computers to maximize learning, Part 2. Young Children. Reprinted with permission by the National Association for the Education of Young Children.)
SUMMARY Media involves two main things: hardware and software. Hardware includes machines and instruments. Software includes the materials that are used on the machines. Media enhance the early childhood program because: 1. They provide variety in the program. 2. They lead to interesting learning experiences. 3. They lead children to create materials or develop new ideas.
INTERACTION SITES Interaction sites are similar to software programs, using sound, animation, sound effects, and high quality, realistic graphics. Unfortunately they sometimes run slowly. The Internet, however, is improving. Edmark’s Kid Desk: Internet Safe (1998) provides descriptions of sites for children three to eight years of age. A tremendous variety of Internet sites are arranged by topic. As you explore them you will find some to be more developmentally appropriate than others.
4. They build on other things children have experienced in the preschool program. Computers are rapidly becoming more common in early childhood programs. It is important to choose developmentally appropriate software that includes ten characteristics: age appropriateness, child control, clear instructions, expanding complexity, independent exploration, process orientation, real-world representation, technical features, trial and error, and visible transformations. There are four basic types of children’s
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Web sites: information, communication, interaction, and publication.
KEY TERMS hardware interactive media
overhead projector software
LEARNING ACTIVITIES TAKING CREATIVE SLIDES A. Obtain an inexpensive camera. Shoot a roll of color film, trying to make each picture creative. B. Try to get pictures of: 1. a beautiful sunset 2. an ugly, broken-down house 3. a beautiful building 4. interesting-looking people 5. a flower in bloom 6. an animal 7. a brightly colored bird C. Use the pictures to tell a creative story about some experience. USING HARDWARE Learn how to use each of the following kinds of hardware: 1. a compact disc player 2. a slide projector 3. a camera 4. an overhead projector 5. a personal computer 6. a VCR ADDITIONAL HARDWARE AND SOFTWARE ACTIVITIES A. Using a tape recorder, make tape recordings of interesting sounds. Try to get fellow classmates to recognize the sounds. Try any or all of the following sounds: 1. a computer keyboard 2. a door closing 3. a car starting 4. a jet plane taking off 5. voices 6. music 7. popcorn popping
B. Choose one of the Web sites listed under Web sites for Teachers and Students at the end of this chapter. Visit the web site. Evaluate it for potential use with young children. List its strengths and weaknesses. In what way would you use this Web site in your work with children? C. Make a list of hardware needed for a program involving media. Figure costs of hardware by checking school supply catalogs, camera stores, and discount department stores. How much money would be needed? D. Preview a computer software program designed for preschoolers. Does it allow for individual creativity? Is it developmentally appropriate? Was it easy to use? E. Choose one of the research references from the list provided at the end of this chapter and report on its findings with regard to young children’s use of computers. Apply what you have read to your own experience with children.
CHAPTER REVIEW 1. Define the term hardware. 2. List four reasons why using media is important to preschool programs. 3. Name several kinds of media that are appropriate for use with young children. 4. List at least five factors to consider when evaluating computer software for young children. 5. List four potential values of computers for young children. 6. What are the four basic types of children’s Web sites?
REFERENCES Adams, P. (1996). Hypermedia in the classroom using earth and science CD-ROMS. Journal of Computers in Mathematics and Science Teaching, (1/2), 19–34. Cardelle-Elawar, M., & Wetzel, K. (1995). Students and computers as partners in developing students’ problem-solving skills. Journal of Research on Computing in Education, 27(4), 378–401. Clements, D. (1994). The uniqueness of the computer as a learning tool: Insights from research. In J. Wright & D. Shade (Eds.), Young children: Active learners in a technological age. Washington, DC: NAEYC. Clements, D. H., Natasi, B. K., Swaminathan, S. (1993, Jan.). Young children and computers: Crossroads and directions from the research. Young Children, 56–64. Clements, D. H., & Swaminathan, S. (1995, Sept.). Technology and school change: new lamps for old? Childhood Education, 72 (1).
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Denning, R., & Smith, P. (1997). Cooperative learning and technology. Journal of Computers in Mathematics and Science Teachings, 16 (2/3), 177–200. Edmark. (1998). Kid desk: Internet safe. (software). Redmond, WA: Author. Elkind, D. (1998). Computers for infants and young children. Child Care Information Exchange, 123(1), 44–46. Haugland, S. (2000, Jan.). Early childhood classrooms in the 21st century: Using computers to maximize learning (Part 2). Young Children, 55(1), 12–18. Haugland, S. (1999). What role should technology play in young children’s learning. (Part 1). Young Children, 54(6), 26–31. Haugland, S. (1997). Computers in early childhood classrooms. Early Childhood News, 9(4), 6–18. Haugland, S. (1992). The effect of computer software on preschool children’s developmental gains. Journal of Computing in Childhood Education, 3(1), 15–30. Haugland, S. W., & Shade, D. D. (1988, May). Developmentally appropriate software for young children. Young Children, 37–43. Haugland, S. W., & Wright, J. (1997). Young children and technology: A world of discovery. New York: Allyn & Bacon. Hohman, C. (1998). Evaluating and selecting software for children. Child Care Information Exchange, 123, 60–62. Hoover, J., & Austin, A. M. (1986, April). A comparison of traditional preschool and computer play from a social/cognitive perspective. Paper presented at the annual meeting of the American Educational Research Association, San Francisco. (ERIC Document Reproduction Service No. ED270 220). Matthews, K. (1997). A comparison of the influence of interactive CD-ROM storybooks and traditional print storybooks on reading comprehension. Journal of Computing in Education, 29(3), 263–73. Mills, J. (1994, Feb. 13). Tots use computers before they learn to read. The New York Times (Reprinted in The Raleigh News and Observer). Nastasi, B. K., & Clements, D. H. (1994). Effectance motivation, perceived scholastic competence, and higherorder thinking in two cooperative computer environments. Journal of Educational Computing Research 10, 241–67. Savage, M. P., & Holcomb, D. R. (1999). Children, cameras and challenging projects. Young Children, 54(2), 27–28. Scholastic Ink. (2000, Jan.). Scholastic Early Childhood Today. New York: Author. Vartuli, S., Hill, S., Loncar, K., & Caccamo, N. (1984). Selecting and evaluating software for use in a preschool classroom: From the young child’s and researcher’s perspective. Unpublished manuscript, Ann Arbor, MI. (ERIC Document Reproduction Service No. ED 259–838). Yelland, N. J. (1995, Spring) Encouraging young children’s thinking skills with LOGO. Childhood Education, 71(3), 152–55
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ADDITIONAL READINGS Bitter, G., & Pierson, M. E. (1999). Using technology in the classroom, (4th ed.). (Contains annotated list of recommended videos arranged by title & subject with vendor information). Needham, MA: Longwood. Caperton, G., & Papert, S. (1999). Vision for education: The Caperton-Papert platform. Available online at www.mamamedia.com/areas/grownups/new/ education/papert_001.html. Cavalier, J., & Klein, J. (1998). Effects of cooperative versus individual learning and orienting activities during computer-based instruction. Educational Technology Research and Development, 46(1), 5–17. Family Forum. (1999). Computers in the home. Avail-able on-line at www.parenting.ga.com/cgi-bin/ detailcomputers/5203.core.tipsfact/. FTC Publishing. (1998). Multimedia Projects for Kid Pix. (Book accompanied by CD-ROM with multimedia projects for elementary students). Phoenix, AZ: Author. Gatewood, T., & Conrad, S. (1997). Is your school’s technology up to date? A practical guide for assessing technology in the elementary schools. Childhood Education, 73(4), 245–51. Gatewood, T., & Conrad, S. (1998). Children and computers. (Web site). Online at childrenandcomputers.com. Healy, J. M. (1999). Failure to connect: How computers affect our children’s minds—for better and worse. New York: Simon & Schuster. IDG Books Worldwide. Computers simplified, (4th ed.). Wauconda, IL: IDG Books Worldwide. Joseph, L. C. (1999). Net curriculum: An educator’s guide to using the internet. Medford, NJ: Information Today. Levin, D. E. (1998). Remote control childhood? Combating the hazards of media culture. Washington, DC: NAEYC. Libraries Unlimited, Inc. The Internet resource directory for k-12 teachers and librarians, (98/99 ed.). Englewood, CO: Author. (www. lu.com). McLester, S. (1998). Girls and Technology: What’s the story? Technology and Learning 19(3), 18–23. NAEYC. (1996). NAEYC position statement: Technology and young children—Ages three through eight. Young Children, 51(6), 11–16. Neal-Schuman Publishers. (1999). Finding and using educational videos. New York: Author. Papert, S. (1999). Child power: Keys to the new learning of the digital century. Available on-line at www.connectedfamily.com. Papert, S. (1998). To support the system or render it obsolete? Milken Exchange on Education Technology (online serial). Available at www.milkenexchange.org/ feature/papert.html. VonBlanckensee, L. (1999). Technology tools for young learners. Larchmont, NY: Eye on Education.
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WEB SITES FOR TEACHERS AND STUDENTS www.highwired.net Highwired.Net and The New York Times Electronic Media Company have joined forces to create a “Student Voices” section on the New York Times Learning Network. www.nytimes.com/learning Students write and submit stories for publication on The Learning Network. www.techlearning.com Miller Freeman, Inc. has integrated the award-winning Well Connected Educator Web site into its own K-12 educational technology resource. The result is a Web site with thousands of classroom and administrative tools, case studies, curricula resources, and solutions. www.postcardsfrom.com This award-winning Web site follows a teacher and photographer as they travel across America, visiting a state a week and publishing live postcards on the Internet every day. Armed with a digital camera, these two explorers capture images and talk to locals, creating a personalized, live-at-the-scene postcard each night for their classroom followers. www.pacifier.com/~twinpeak/disability/ The Disability Bookshop Catalog, a shop-by-mail bookstore, is now available online. The Bookshop stocks hard-to-find titles covering a wide range of health topics and information of interest to persons with special needs, persons with medical problems, their friends and families, educators, and health professionals. www.eplay.com The eBUGS™ have invaded ePLAY’s Web site for kids! These cyberheroes and their adventures are just one of many interactive attractions at the new online children’s community, launched by ePLAY™ Inc., a children’s “edutainment” company. This “smart play” site provides multidimensional online and offline play that appeals to the different ways children learn and is derived from Howard Gardner’s theory of “multiple intelligence.” Targeted at children 8 to 12 years old, as well as their teachers, eplay.com features daily episodic programming that includes the eBUGS Adventures™, related kid-relevant information on history and cultures, smart play online and offline activities, and lesson plans to enrich social studies curriculum. The site’s content changes daily and is free to all visitors.
SOFTWARE FOR CHILDREN
Dr. Seuss preschool. (1999). Cambridge, MA: The Learning Company. Jump start toddlers. (1999). Torrance, CA: Havas/ Knowledge Adventures. Little Tikes cozy coupe mouse. (1998). Eden Praire, MN: KB Gear. Reader Rabbit’s Toddler. (1998). Cambridge, MA: The Learning Company. Ready for preschool. (1998). Houston, TX: Compaq/ Fisher-Price Interactive. Ready for school toddler, 2 CD Set. (1999). San Bruno, CA: Fisher-Price Interactive. Sesame Street toddlers. (1998). Fremont, CA: Creative Wonders. Winnie the Pooh keyboard. (1998). Eden Praire, MN: KB Gear.
KINDERGARTEN–GRADE 3 Alphabet CD-ROM with workbook. (1999). Grand Haven, MI: School Zone. Arthur’s reading games. (1998). Cambridge, MA: The Learning Company. Disney’s animated storybook: 101 Dalmatians. (1997). New York: Disney Interative. The great gift mystery. (1998). Cambridge, MA: The Learning Company. Just grandma and me. (1999). Cambridge, MA: The Learning Company. Midnight play. Interactive storybook. (1999). Indianapolis, IN: Macmillan Digital Publishing. Reader rabbit thinking adventures. (1998). Cambridge, MA: The Learning Company. Thinkin’ things: Toony the loon’s lagoon. (1999). Redmond, WA: Edmark.
GRADES 4–5 A Bug’s life active play. (1999). New York: Disney Interactive. The ClueFinders 5th grade adventures: The secret of the living volcano. (1998). Cambridge, MA: The Learning Company. Dr. Brain Puzzleopolis. (1998). Torrance, CA: Knowledge Adventure. MindTwister math. (1999). Redmond, WA: Edmark/IBM. Music ace 2. (1999). Evanston, IL: Harmonic Vision. Pit Droids. (Successively more difficult puzzles placed in Star Wars setting.) (1998). San Rafael, CA: Lucas Learning. Sketch board studio, with Disney’s magic artist studio. (1999). Eden Praire, MN: KB Gear. Yoda’s challenge. (Introduction to music, geometry and reading comprehension.) (1998). San Rafael, CA: Lucas Learning.
PRESCHOOL Disney’s Winnie the Pooh preschool. (1999). New York: Disney Interactive. Disney’s Winnie the Pooh toddler. (1998). New York: Disney Interactive.
For additional creative activity resources, visit our Web site at www.EarlyChildEd.delmar.com.
SECTION 3 Art and the Development of the Young Child REFLECTIVE QUESTIONS After studying this section, you should be able to answer the following questions. 1. How am I encouraging the development of self-concept in young children in my classroom management and teaching practices? 2. What are the strengths and weaknesses of my art program as it relates to the development of self-concept? What can I do to improve it so that it is more conducive to the development of a positive self-concept for young children? 3. Do I have sufficient and appropriate art materials for both large and small motor activities? What can I add to improve my program? What can I remove? 4. Are the young children in my group able to fully develop their physical and mental potential in the room and the activities I have planned? 5. Does my classroom reflect the range of individual differences in socialemotional and physical-mental development present in the group? How can it be improved? 6. At what levels in the development of art are the children in my group? Have I planned activities and lessons to fit these levels? 7. Are my teaching practices based upon a knowledge of social-emotional, physical-mental, and art development levels? Is this knowledge reflected in my choice of materials, supplies, and interest centers? 8. Am I aware of each child’s individual schema? Can I recognize them? How do I speak with children about their art? 9. How can I assist parents in their understanding of children’s development of art? Of a child’s physical-mental development? Of a child’s social-emotional growth? 10. Do I encourage young children to verbalize their feelings? Do I encourage this process by modeling consideration of their thoughts and actions? 11. What can I do to improve my current teaching practices in the art program? 12. Am I satisfied that the social-emotional, physical-mental, and developmental levels of art are being appropriately addressed in my teaching strategies? What can I change to better meet the individual needs of young children in all of these areas of development?
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ART AND SOCIALEMOTIONAL GROWTH OBJECTIVES After studying this chapter, you should be able to: 1. Define the terms self-acceptance and self-concept. 2. Describe how the art program can add to a child’s self-concept and selfacceptance. 3. Discuss how the art program helps a child in child-to-child relationships, child-to-teacher relationships, and child-to-group relationships.
T
he term social-emotional growth refers to two kinds of growth. Emotional growth is the growth of a child’s feelings, and social growth is the child’s growth as a member of a group. Learning to be a member of a group involves many social skills. Young children, for example, must learn to relate to other children and adults outside the family. Often, a child’s first experience of sharing an adult’s attention with other children occurs in the early childhood setting. Of the social skills involved in learning to work in a group, children have to learn how to share materials, take turns, listen to others, and how and when to work on their own—to mention just a few! This chapter covers both the social and emotional growth of the child as it occurs in the early childhood art program. While social-emotional growth occurs at the same time as physical-mental growth, the two are covered in separate chapters within this text for the sake of clarity. The developmental concepts learned and applied in this and the following two chapters are applicable to all other creative activities and materials.
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The objective of all creative activities, it must be remembered, is to promote development of the child in all areas, thus maximizing his or her full potential. This chapter is divided into four main sections: (1) self-concept and self-acceptance, (2) child-to-child relationships, (3) child-to-teacher relationships, and (4) child-to-group relationships.
SELF-CONCEPT AND SELF-ACCEPTANCE Self-concept can be defined as the child’s growing awareness of his or her own characteristics (physical appearance as well as skills and abilities) and how these are similar to or different from those of others. All children like to feel good about themselves. This good feeling about oneself is called self-acceptance or self-esteem. Children who feel good about themselves and believe they can do things well have a good sense of self-acceptance.
CHAPTER 8 Art and Social-Emotional Growth
FIGURE 8–1
Children learn about themselves by the way they are treated by others.
Children who have positive self-concepts accept their own strengths and limitations. The early childhood program provides an environment which nurtures the development of a positive sense of self and a good self-concept in each child. Children learn to accept themselves from birth all the way throughout life. They learn about themselves by the way they are treated by others. The way parents hold their baby makes the baby feel accepted. A baby who is being held closely with tenderness learns to feel loved and good. The only way babies understand this is by physical touch, since they do not yet understand words. As babies grow into young children, they continue learning to accept themselves. When toddlers are encouraged and praised for messy but serious attempts to feed themselves, they learn to accept themselves and feel good about what they do. If children are accepted as they are, they learn to accept themselves. In the early childhood art program, children must continue to learn to accept and feel good about themselves. The art program can be of special help in this area. When children feel they can do things well in art, they grow in both self-confidence and self-acceptance. In the art program, young children learn more about themselves and their capabilities and affirm their sense of self. For example, a child at the easel used many bright colors and was proud of his accomplishment. “I’m Harry and I like to paint pretty colors. Write my name at the top,” he calls out to a teacher. This threeyear-old child’s growing concept of self is evident as he views what he has painted. The good feelings about oneself, which can be fostered through art, are essential for positive development of self-concept. Many
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possibilities for this development exist when children can record personal impressions visually. Their creations, eyes, and voices exclaim, “See me; see what I can do!” (Lasky & Mukerji, 1980). The importance of a good self-concept is equally as important to middle and upper elementary students. They, too, need the same encouragement and emotionally safe environment in which to express themselves creatively. Just because they are physically bigger and appear more sure of themselves, doesn’t mean that a teacher can overlook the development of their self-concept in all creative activities. An early childhood teacher needs to plan the art program in such a way that it gives each child a chance to grow in self-acceptance. To do so, the program should be child-centered, which means that it is planned for the age and ability levels of the children in it. Naturally, if it is child-centered, it is, in turn, developmentally appropriate—meeting the specific individual needs of each child. The art program is planned around the developmental needs of the child. In this way, the teacher has clear guidelines for selections of appropriate materials and activities for the level of each child in the program. (Developmental levels in art and related activities for these levels are covered in Chapter 10.) ENCOURAGING SELF-ACCEPTANCE THROUGH THE ART PROGRAM A climate of psychological safety is essential to the growth of a child’s self-acceptance. This safe, accepting
FIGURE 8–2
Learning to be a member of a group is an important milestone for young children.
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environment doesn’t just happen. It is carefully planned with the following points included in the planning:
Accept children at their present developmental level. If the adult accepts the child in a positive way, the child feels this acceptance. This does not mean that the child should not be challenged. Art activities can be planned that are a slight challenge for the child’s present level. But they must not be so hard that they frustrate the child. By feeling successful in art activities, children learn to feel more sure about themselves and their skills. Self-confidence is built on a circular relationship between child and teacher. When the teacher shows confidence in a child, it helps that child develop greater self-confidence. When four-year-old Rathnam was sweeping broad, free strokes of blue, red, and white paint across his paper, the colors inadvertently mixed at various places. Suddenly he stopped, his brush in midair, as he squinted hard at his painting. “Look, it’s pink up here and look at this,” pointing to a hazy lavender area. “Yes,” said his teacher, catching the excitement of the moment, “and you made them—you made those special colors.” The teacher had a hunch that there was more learning potential in that event than the pleasure of discovery. “Which two colors did you mix to make the pink?” she asked. Without hesitation Rathnam responded, “Oh, that’s red and white, mixed.” “So now you can make pink whenever you want,” summarized the teacher. “Yeah,” whispered Rathnam with a touch of pride and awe, “I’ll mix red and white.” In this way the teacher made clear her confidence that he could repeat purposefully a technique for changing color which he discovered accidentally. Rathnam’s response highlighted a moment of self-confidence in his ability to control this responsive art medium.
Provide an environment that is comfortable for the age level of the group. Plan the room so that it is a place where children can feel at home. It should have tables and chairs that are the right size for young children. A room for older children needs the same care in planning. This age group needs chairs and tables of the appropriate size and strength. There is often a widening difference in physical size in grades 4–5, so a mixture of sizes is often necessary if equipment is to be appropriate for this age group. For example, small-sized desks and chairs often aren’t the right size for 5th-grade children who have had a growth spurt. It’s hard to feel good about one’s self when you feel too big for your chair! If necessary, there should be covering on the floor and work areas so that the chil-
FIGURE 8–3
Children feel secure when they feel accepted by the adults caring for them.
dren can work freely without worrying about spills. It is hard for children to feel good about themselves and their work when they are always being told they are “too messy.” If sponges and towels are within reach, children can clean up their own mess. A little thing like this is fun for them, as well as a good way to help them develop independence and confidence. By being in charge of keeping their own area clean, children learn to feel good about how they can take care of themselves. This strengthens their self-acceptance and personal pride.
Provide materials and activities that are age appropriate. By giving children tools they are able to work with at their age and skill level, the teacher helps them have more success in art projects. Success helps them grow with pride and confidence and know that they can do things well. Success breeds success.
Provide creative materials and activities that the children can work on and complete by themselves. Activities that children can finish themselves help them feel more self-assured and confident about their art ability. To do this, teachers need to be good observers to know exactly what materials and activities are developmentally appropriate for each child. This match between children’s developmental levels and appropriate activities and materials is an ever-changing one, as children continue to grow and develop in the early years. The creative process offers opportunities for children to gain a spirit of independence and a sense of personal autonomy when the choice of medium, process, or kind of expression is their own.
CHAPTER 8 Art and Social-Emotional Growth
CHILD-TO-CHILD RELATIONSHIPS It is only after a child has developed self-acceptance that it is possible for her to accept other children. In the early childhood art program, there are many chances for a child to be with other children of the same age. Children who have had positive creative experiences are the ones who can honestly accept their own abilities and those of other children. The art program is a good place for child-to-child relationships, where children can work, talk, and be together. If the art activities are developmentally appropriate for the children, they provide a relaxed time for exploring, trying new tools, and using familiar ones again. They also allow children many chances to interact with each other. The freedom of art itself encourages children to talk about their own work or the work of other children. Working with colors, paint, paper, paste, and other materials provides children an endless supply of things to talk about. SHARING IDEAS AND OPINIONS Art activities also provide endless opportunities for a child to learn how other children feel about things. For example, a three-year-old boy may hear for the first time how another child his own age feels about his painting. At home, this child may hear mostly adult comments; in the early childhood setting, he can experience the ideas
FIGURE 8–4
The early childhood program is a good place to learn how to get along with others of the same age.
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and feelings of an age-mate. An action as simple as putting easels side-by-side encourages this type of social learning. In the same way, 4th and 5th graders will learn a lot about each other’s ideas and opinions as they work together planning and creating a class mural for a Martin Luther King Day project. Although this sharing can be a new and exciting thing for a child, it can also be hard for some children to accept at first. Children may have good feelings about themselves and their work in art, likewise, they can learn to accept ideas about their work from others. The chance to share ideas and talk about one’s own work or the work of others is the beginning of a new type of relationship. It is a sharing relationship. The child begins to see that other children have different ideas and feelings. This type of sharing makes the child see that people can have different feelings and ideas and still be friends. A child can learn that everyone does not have to agree all the time and can share ideas and opinions. By the time children are in the 4th grade, they are capable of developing rather strong friendships. It is well to encourage these friendships, since the social development of the children is furthered as they gain feelings of inner security in having a friend. By the time children are in the 4th or 5th grade, they are being prepared socially for peer group participation. It is this
FIGURE 8–5
Helping others is a joyful learning experience.
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accept children’s expressions of their desires and delights can share, and thus intensify, children’s joy. COOPERATION AND SHARING
FIGURE 8–6
The early childhood program provides many opportunities for cooperation and sharing.
association with a peer group that is the focus of social development of this age group. Within a peer group the needs of the child are met in the following ways: (1) The child finds models for behavior and achievement among peer group members and their activities; (2) The peer group makes it possible for the child to get the attention that she discovers she needs and wants; (3) The child learns to view herself in different ways as she identifies with the group; (4) The group furnishes a support in asking or doing certain things; and (5) The child is growing toward maturity with the help of the peer group as she learns to rely less upon her parents.
EXPRESSION OF FEELINGS The creative art process allows children to visually translate personal feelings as well as ideas (Dewey, 1958; Lowenfeld & Brittain, 1987). Art thus becomes an emotional catharsis. The use of color and the size or placement of representations frequently reflect healthy emotions which are difficult to express in words. It is not unusual for a teacher to notice that children vigorously pounding clay or energetically hammering nails seem to be relieving tension or frustration. Children who are afraid of the dark may paint some brown or black or purple renditions to express this feeling. Bright colors or symbols of smiling faces may express happy experiences. Art as a vent for feeling is universally acknowledged for artists of all ages (Lowenfeld & Brittain, 1987). Expressing strong feelings through art rather than through destructive acts may provide catharsis for emotions. Teachers who accept the reality of children’s feelings can understand children better and help them cope with distressing feelings. In the same way, teachers who
Working together with other children in creative activities gives a child the chance to learn about being with others. Being with others teaches a child the value of sharing and cooperation. Working with limited amounts of crayons, paint, and paper means that a child has to share. The child soon learns that sharing is a part of being in a group. One can of red paint for two young painters is a real-life lesson in sharing. Likewise, sharing woodworking tools in the creation of three-dimensional structures teaches 4th and 5th graders how to deal with limited equipment in a cooperative way. Cooperation among children is also part of the art program. A child learns the meaning of cooperation while helping another child glue seeds on a paper, clean a brush, or button a painting shirt. This is truly learning by doing.
CHILD-TO-TEACHER RELATIONSHIPS The teacher in the early childhood program is a very important person in the child’s eye. Children look up to their teachers and tend to take them very seriously. A child learns new ways to be with an adult in the early childhood program. The teacher is an adult, but not the child’s parent, therefore, a new type of relationship opens up. Of course, it is different in several ways from the adult–child relationship at home.
FIGURE 8–7
The teacher in the early childhood program is a very important person.
CHAPTER 8 Art and Social-Emotional Growth
The school setting is unlike the home situation. Children learn how to be and act in a place other than the home. They learn how it is to be in a larger group than the family and how to share an adult’s attention with other children. The children learn about art as well as about themselves from the teacher. The teacher helps them feel that it is safe to be themselves and to express ideas in their own way. The sensitive teacher lets the child know that the fun of participating in and expressing oneself in art or other creative activities is more important than the finished product. With older children, the teacher encourages them to explore the many ways to express their ideas in the growing complexity of their work, which is characteristic of this age group. A teacher opens up many new art skills and feelings for the child and is thus a very important person in the eyes of the child. The teacher may be the first real adult friend for the child. It is, therefore, important for a good child– teacher relationship to develop during the art program. A happy feeling between teacher and child affects the child’s school days to come.
BUILDING RAPPORT Building a warm and friendly feeling, a rapport, between teacher and child is not always easy; it does not happen quickly. The best learning and teaching take place, however, when the child and teacher have this feeling for each other.
FIGURE 8–8
When children are allowed to express themselves freely in art, they learn to accept their own ideas and feelings.
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The following are some ways in which the childteacher relationship may be enhanced: ■ Welcome each child into the room. Make the child feel wanted and special. ■ When speaking to children, look into their eyes. ■ When speaking to children, use their names. ■ Understand that children like to feel proud of themselves. ■ Talk with and listen to every child as much as possible. ■ Use a normal speaking voice. ACCEPTANCE In addition to accepting children at their individual developmental levels when planning the arts program, teachers have countless opportunities to model an accepting attitude for children. When Meg derisively called three-year-old Sharon’s crayon picture a “scribble scrabble mess,” the teacher matter-of-factly commented, “Sharon is hard at work trying out many different crayons. That’s exactly how everybody begins— with big, colorful lines.” Sharon smiled contentedly; Meg said, “Oh,” and went off thinking her own thoughts, but perhaps somewhat responsive to the teacher’s casual yet positive acceptance of the legitimacy of scribbling in that classroom.
FIGURE 8–9
Learning to dress oneself is a big step in developing self-confidence.
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Altruism—Teaching the Value of Helping, Caring, and Sharing Why are some children more altruistic than others? The answer is complicated, since altruism is affected by many factors. During the past few decades, researchers have observed hundreds of adults and children in laboratories and in real-life situations to gain insight into three main altruistic behaviors—helping, caring, and sharing. The beginnings of altruism are present at birth, research shows. In one study, babies only 18 hours old were more distressed by tapes of other infants’ crying than by recordings of their own crying and would cry longer and more often when they heard human cries than when they were exposed to other loud noises. Researchers also report that some people are innately more empathic than others. There are individual differences in temperament, so some children respond more intensely to other people’s distress than others. But all children have the ability to be affected deeply by other people’s emotional states. Adults have a great deal of influence on children’s altruism, experts say. Here’s what you can do to teach children the value of helping, caring, and sharing. ■ Make your environment as nurturing as possible. By meeting children’s physical and emotional needs, you free them psychologically to meet other people’s needs. ■ Foster self-esteem by encouraging children to do things for themselves. Acknowledge children’s accomplishments, and let them know they don’t have to perform to be loved. Children with high selfesteem can behave altruistically because they are not preoccupied with their own perceived inadequacies. ■ Talk about the feelings of others. For example, if you see a bus driver snap at a passenger, say, “He seems upset about something. Maybe he’s having a bad day today.” ■ Assist children in defining their own feelings toward others. Ask them if they feel sad because they have to miss a birthday party or if they are excited about going to their grandparents’ house. Research shows that children can’t empathize the emotions of others until they understand their own. ■ Let children know how much you value helping, caring, and sharing, and model altruistic behavior yourself. In several studies, children exposed to generous models were more inclined to donate money and trinkets to others than children exposed to selfish models. ■ Establish clear behavioral standards for children and emphasize how misconduct hurts other people. ■ Explain why disciplinary measures are necessary and use emotion so youngsters know you really mean business, but discourage aggressive behavior and avoid spanking and belittling. ■ Welcome children’s help, and stress how much you appreciate even the smallest effort. This will foster altruism by teaching youngsters to view themselves as caring individuals. But do not give children material rewards for helping, caring, and sharing. They should help because they want to, not because they expect rewards. ■ Minimize television viewing. Behavior experts say most children’s television shows encourage aggression, rather than helping, caring, and sharing. Two exceptions are Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood and Sesame Street, which have increased altruistic behavior among preschoolers. ■ Talk children through conflicts, step by step. For example, if a child is fighting about a toy with another child, empathize with her distress and ask how she thinks her friend is feeling. Praise her when she takes her playmate’s point of view, and encourage her to solve the problem in ways that will benefit both children. ■ Encourage cooperation, not competition. Buy toys that foster cooperative play and emphasize that other people are not obstacles to a child’s success. Research shows that children who are encouraged to triumph are less generous and empathetic than their peers (Brody, Sieger, & Rosenblum, 1992; Curry & Johnson, 1990; Katz & McClellan, 1991; Kohn, 1990; Woodhead, Carr, & Light, 1991).
CHAPTER 8 Art and Social-Emotional Growth
From such small incidents, which collectively reveal an attitude, Meg may realize she is accepted as a person who warrants an explanation, while Sharon may feel the teacher accepts her as she is. When children feel accepted by people who are important to them, they are better able to develop a sense of trust in those people. When the teacher accepts and respects each child’s physical and artistic abilities, the children then accept each other. By accepting each other, they learn about ideas, opinions, and feelings different from their own peers. These new ideas make the art program richer and more exciting for the children.
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PROVIDE AN ENVIRONMENT WHICH RESPECTS INDIVIDUALITY Teachers appreciate how differently children respond to new art activities just as to any other new experiences. Some children eagerly plunge into new activities, attracted, perhaps, to new materials or the newness of the venture, while other children temporarily hold back. Still others retreat to the safety of the familiar and are reluctant to take risks with new materials or processes. Sensitive teachers, trying to provide a climate in which children can take risks in their own ways, will accommodate the differences they observe in children.
Collaborating with Children: Another Way to Build Self-Concept Involving young children in decorating their room is a fun, productive way of building their self-concept and improving the room’s appearance at the same time! Designing a bulletin board (or wall decoration) can involve many skills and can be a learning experience unlike any other. Here are some tried-and-true bulletin board ideas to involve children while building their self-concept, too. ■ Hands On—Cover one wall with brown kraft (wrapping) paper. With bright paint (one color for each letter), write the title, “Hands On!” at the top of the paper. Children then place handprints randomly on the board by first pressing hands on a paint-coated sponge and then pressing directly on the paper. Label each print with the child’s name and date. ■ Pattern Prints—Prepare the bulletin board by measuring off horizontal lines on backing paper to create one horizontal stripe/space for each child. At the left end of the stripes, list the children’s names. Then, offer the children a variety of materials for printing (cut fruits and vegetables, rubber stamps, printing letters, etc.) and an inked pad (or sponge soaked in tempera paint). Allow the children to create any pattern or design they would like to make. ■ Names—Cover a large bulletin board with a bright, solid background. Divide paper evenly into a grid design, thus providing each child with a 12-inch square space on the board. With a marker, print each child’s name in large letters at the top of the space, leaving at least 11 inches of paper exposed under each name. First, use the board as a basis for a matching game—children must match namecards to their name printed on the board. Children are then invited to decorate their name with markers, crayons, or paints. As the year progresses, children can copy their names in a variety of (for older preschoolers): yarn, sparkles, etc. ■ Artwork—Children are always being told not to write on the walls, but now they can have the freedom and the fun to write on at least one board in the room. Once again, cover a large bulletin board with kraft (or wrapping) paper. (You may want to tack several layers at first so that you can tear off the top layer to expose a fresh piece when needed.) Then, invite the children to draw to their hearts’ content. If you share a special story, event, or trip, expose a fresh piece of kraft paper to create an instant mural! Decorating the room with your children develops a sense of pride in them toward themselves and their environment. They will be proud to show off their room and the bulletin boards they all shared in creating!
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PROVIDE MOTIVATION FOR CHILDREN’S CREATIVE EXPERIENCES Another way a teacher can help children grow in their creativity is to begin each activity or learning experience with a motivational challenge. The teacher can do this by introducing new materials or conducting discussions and conversations to stimulate and challenge the children’s imagination. Although the most effective motivation is praise and encouragement, there are some more specific ways to motivate children in creative experiences. The following are some suggestions: 1. Be sure to have enough supplies and materials available for the planned activity.
FIGURE 8–10
Self-acceptance is learning to feel good about oneself.
Three-year-old Mary refused her teacher’s invitation to try finger painting. She apparently had the same conflicting feelings she had expressed when clay was introduced. She wanted to play with messy materials but was anxious about getting carried away in her play and becoming too dirty. Her response to the invitation was to run away and play with the little cars across the room. Eventually, she drove her car toward the finger painting area while accompanying herself with a steady, persistent engine sound of rhum-rhum-rhum. She barely glanced at the children who were finger painting, then turned and raced black to the block area. Once again, Mary approached and stopped her engine sounds. She looked at the painters with sidelong glances, pretending to examine the wheels on her car at the same time. The teacher, noting Mary’s interest and reluctance, decided to give her more time. His only comment that day was, “When you decide you want to finger paint, you can pick the color you want.” After a few days, Mary announced, “I want blue.” The teacher had read Mary’s nonverbal behavior correctly; her individual pattern of response had been respected. This similar approach works with older children as well. For instance, some children may be reluctant to work with a new art technique such as printing using a roller for the first time. A sensitive teacher accepts this and allows alternative activities for all students.
2. Engage the children in a motivational discussion to challenge their interest. Ask them questions, stir their imaginations, encourage inventiveness. “Look at this! I found this beautiful rock on a trail walk. Look at all its surfaces. How would you describe them? What does this rock remind you of? Can you draw (or paint, or construct) something that represents those memories? Maybe you’ll like to use clay or play dough to show your own ideas….” 3. Show enthusiasm and knowledge of the activity as well as a genuine excitement in presenting it. Teachers, of course, should have actually worked with the materials beforehand so they know that the materials are suitable for the children. 4. In your motivational dialogue with the children, use words at the children’s level of understanding. Examples of motivational starters are: ■ Who has walked in the rain? ■ Who has walked in the rain—barefoot? ■ What else did you wear in the rain? What color was your raincoat? ■ Did you have boots on? ■ Have children show how to open an umbrella. (It’s fun to use a real umbrella!) ■ Could you hold the umbrella over your head without bending your elbows? ■ Let’s draw a picture of how you look and feel while walking in the rain. ■ Let’s draw a picture (or paint, cut and paste, etc.) about this: If I were a duck . . . Looking inside a tunnel, a box, a wishing well . . . What I look like on the inside . . . Going to the doctor . . .
CHAPTER 8 Art and Social-Emotional Growth
CHILD-TO-GROUP RELATIONSHIPS When taking part in creative activities, a child learns to be in a group. Being in a group at school is not the same as being in a family. In school, the child is a student as well as a member of the group. As a member of a group, the child learns many things. In art, a child learns how to follow, for example, learning to use a paintbrush by following directions. When making a mural with a group of children, a five-year-old learns to follow and work with group ideas in planning the project. Learning to follow rules about cleanup is another way a child learns to follow in a group. A child learns how to lead in a group, too. For example, a six-year-old who is in charge of his group’s paint learns to be a leader with responsibility. Children who can go ahead with ideas on their own are learning the qualities of a leader, too. Thus, in art projects, children have many chances to learn to sometimes be leaders and sometimes be followers. Being a member of a group is a social learning experience. A group of children engaged in a creative project is a little social group for the child. In such a group, children learn how to share and cooperate. They learn that being in a social group has advantages, such as being with other children their own age, working, sharing ideas, and having fun with them. Children also learn that it is sometimes a disadvantage having to work with the group’s rules and that it is not always easy to take turns or to play with others each day in school. A child learns to respect the rights and ideas of others by being a member of a social group. Learning to respect others is also a part of the child’s life outside the school. The things children learn about being members of a group in school help them as members of social groups outside the school. Because young children are naturally egocentric, they face the difficult, yet necessary, task of moderating their self-interest to cope with group living. Young children must learn the self-discipline inherent in cooperating, in taking turns, and in adapting when necessary to group interests and needs. Skill in resolving interpersonal conflicts gradually develops. Creative art activities that take place in an open and flexible atmosphere provide a valuable setting for these psychosocial learnings. How fortunate that creative experiences which give children so much pleasure should also be so effective in helping them to learn about themselves, other people, and how better to negotiate the real conditions of group living.
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KEY TERMS rapport
social-emotional growth
SUMMARY Well-planned creative activities help children develop good feelings about themselves and their abilities. In these activities, a child learns to be with other children, to be with adults other than parents, and to be in a group. The social skills learned in the early childhood art program help children adapt to other groups outside the school.
LEARNING ACTIVITIES A. Your first peer group may have been made up of children in your neighborhood or classmates in school. Can you remember their names? What did they look like? How did they behave toward you? How did you feel about your involvement with this group? B. During these early years, who were the popular, amiable, rejected, or isolated children with whom you came into contact? How would you rate yourself? C. What happened to this group? What caused it to break apart? Can you remember how you felt about this change? D. You have a time machine. Would you go back to your childhood to give the child you were a message? Or would you go forward to the future and give your own child a message? What would those messages be? Share them with your classmates. E. Think about teachers you have had who helped you feel good about yourself. Write down a list of single words describing this teacher. Make a collage using these words. Share your memory collage with fellow students. F. Going back in your school-day memories, can you remember being afraid, worried, anxious? Write down these memories, including the situation that created this feeling. Now think about your work with children. Have you created similar situations for children? Share your memories and thoughts with your classmates.
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ACTIVITIES FOR CHILDREN The following activities can be used with classmates or with children in laboratory situations. Remember them for real-life classroom use. “I CAN” BOOK Show parents of young children the specific skills their children have learned. Make an “I Can” scrapbook using samples of the child’s work. Show “I Can Paint,” “I Can Color,” and “I Can Paste” with samples of work. Illustrate “I Know Colors,” for example, with samples of the colors the child can recognize and “I Can Count” with drawings of the number of objects that the child can count. TEACHERS ARE PEOPLE, TOO A teacher who was late one day and was explaining to the children that she’d had a flat tire was surprised to hear one four-year-old say, “But don’t you sleep here?” A teacher was obviously part of the equipment that came with the room! How much do your children know about you? Do you live in a house, an apartment? Do you come to school by car, by bus? Are you married? Do you have children? Talk with the children about your life. It will help broaden their understanding of the world. GROUP EFFORT ACTIVITY To encourage and develop children’s self-esteem, cooperation, and group effort, try this activity. You will need a table, crayons, markers, paper, and tape. Cover the top of the table with paper, attaching it with tape. In the middle of the paper write the title of the picture, for example, “Our Group Art.” Allow the children to draw pictures on the paper during group or free-choice time. When the picture is finished (to everyone’s liking), take it off the table and tape it to the wall or put it on a bulletin board. As a variation, use different shapes or colors of paper. Use a round table or a rectangular table, or an animal or tree shape. Or try to have a special theme for the group artwork: nature, families, animals, etc. MIRROR ACTIVITIES Use a large, full-length, or small hand-held mirror to encourage self-awareness with toddlers, preschoolers, children in grades kindergarten through grade three and grades 4–5.
■ With toddler—Bring each child to the mirror. Encourage them to look at the mirror. Have them point to the parts of the body you name. “Show me your nose.” “Where is your tummy?” “Point to your mouth.” ■ With kindergarten–3rd grade students—Ask them as they look at themselves such questions as, “Why do people look in mirrors?” “Why do people look at themselves?” “What do you like about you that you see in the mirror?” Then have two children look in the mirror together. Have one child tell the other what is special about her, what he likes about her. ■ With 4th–5th Graders—Have them look in the mirror. What features do they see that are like their parents, siblings, a famous person, other relatives? What is special about what they see? What lines and shapes do they see in their image? Then have two children look into the mirror. Have them compare the lines and shapes they see in each other’s face. Ask them to tell each other what is special about their images. Does either one look like a famous person? MAKING A PHOTO ALBUM A. Objectives: To see oneself and others. To learn to admire oneself and others. B. Procedure: Have each child bring in a photo of himor herself. 1. Use large pieces of colored paper. Punch holes in the side of each sheet of paper. Tie yarn through the holes to hold the pages together. 2. Paste each child’s photo on a page. Print the child’s name under the photo. C. Leave the photo album out so the children can look at and enjoy the pictures. D. A personal picture sequence chart can be made for each child using photos taken at different times of the year (birthday, outings, holidays, etc.). Children will gain a sense of time, change, and growth in these photo charts. E. During the year, children may want to dictate stories or short descriptive statements to accompany these photos. These “story pages” can be added to the book throughout the year. ACTIVITIES FOR SELF-AWARENESS, SELF-ACCEPTANCE, AND COOPERATION
Clothes Encounters. Gather together the spare clothes that were stored at the school for the year or
CHAPTER 8 Art and Social-Emotional Growth
packed away the previous year. Use a full-length mirror for this activity. At the end of the school year, encourage each child to try on his or her old spare clothes and examine himself/herself in the mirror. This activity provides a concrete measurement experience that is full of surprises. Talk about the “tight squeeze” of the clothes now and why this is so.
Body Shapes A. Objectives: To encourage children’s positive feelings about themselves and their bodies. To encourage cooperation among children. B. Equipment: Large pieces of brown paper, crayons, and paints. C. Procedure: Have a child lie down flat on a piece of paper. Another child uses a crayon to trace the first child’s body outline on the paper. Then the first child paints or colors in her own body shape outlined on the paper. D. Encourage the children’s self-awareness by having them notice what they are wearing and the colors before they paint their outline. PATTY-CAKE (FOR THREE-YEAR-OLDS) A. Objectives: To learn to use body parts. To learn other children’s names. B. Procedure: Teacher begins by singing and clapping: “Patty-cake, Patty-cake, Baker’s Man, Bake me a cake as fast as you can, Roll it and pat it, Mark it with (use a child’s initial), Put it in the oven for (use a child’s name) and me.” 1. Use all the children’s names in the song. (Or each child can have a turn to sing the song and name another child in the group.) 2. Repeat it often so that children learn each other’s names.
Murals A. Make up a mural after a field trip. It can be made by all of the children working together on one large piece of paper, or it can be made by pasting separate paintings together on a large piece of paper. B. Variations: Decorate some windows in the school. Plan and give a puppet show. Have the children make the puppets.
I Like You will need a tape recorder. Individually ask children to name something they like or are interested in. Record these statements and create a pause on the tape. After the short pause, ask each child to say his or her name and record it. During group meeting time, play the tape for the children, asking them to identify the child after each statement of interest. The children can check their
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guesses when they hear the name of the child recorded on the tape. As a follow-up to this activity, play the tape in the art center. Some children may want to express what they heard on the tape with paint, markers, clay, etc. Another possible use of the tape is in the book corner. Have earphones on the tape player so children can listen quietly to their own and their friend’s voices and comments. Some children might want to dictate a story about something they heard on the tape. THIS MAKES ME FEEL HAPPY A. Working in a small group, bring an object to the group and say, “I would like to share something with you that makes me happy.” Explain why the object makes you happy. For example, “Here is a necklace that someone I like very much gave to me. When I wear it, it reminds me of that person and I get a good feeling.” Then, “I would like to give you a chance to share something with us and tell us how it makes you happy.” B. Ask the children to obtain something to bring back to the group. One by one, they are given an opportunity to share their object with the group. This can take place over several days as children bring sentimental objects from home. (See chapter 7 for ideas on making a “Class Museum” to display these special objects.)
Me-Mobiles (Older Four-Year-Olds) You will need: (1) a selection of magazines (school and department store catalogs, nature, sports, as well as any popular family magazines); (2) scissors; (3) paste; (4) construction paper; (5) wire hangers; (6) yarn (or string); and (7) name tags large enough to fit in the central triangle of the hanger. Tie the child’s name tag to the central portion of the hanger and allow at least three strings to dangle from the bar of the hanger. Have the children look through the magazines and cut (or tear) out three or more pictures that reflect a favorite thing or activity. The children then past the pictures on the construction paper. The children tie or staple the mounted pictures to the strings attached to the hanger. Encourage the children to talk about their selections. Hangers can be hung on a “clothesline” in the classroom or in any other appropriate place.
ACTIVITIES FOR OLDER CHILDREN (GRADES 4–5) A. Older children can use cameras and take each other’s pictures. They may take photos on a field trip or during a special project, or at whatever time
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they want. A “documentary” of their experience can be created by arranging the photos in a special order and then writing an explanatory text to go with the photos. Or have older children take pictures of each other according to a specific idea or theme, such as lines/shapes in faces; darkhair/light-hair friends, etc. B. Older children can sketch the body outline of another student by projecting a light onto a blank wall, which has a large sheet of paper taped on it. Students can trace each other’s “standing shadow” with a large dark marker. They may want to decorate the outline or fill it in with words and phrases describing that person. The point is to do another person’s outline to learn more about that person. Asking questions about favorite foods, clothes, TV or movie stars, cars, etc. is a good way to learn information to “fill in” the outline. C. With older children, make a mural after a field trip. Have them work as a group to decide which part of the field trip they want to feature as the topic of their mural. Encourage them to include as many art techniques as possible in their mural (i.e., collage, finger paint, tempera painting, printing, threedimensional add-ons, etc.). D. For older children, give them a chance to learn more about each other in “Talk Time.” A talk time break gives them an opportunity to visit with their friends. As we know, the development of strong friendships and a peer group are characteristic of this age group. They can talk about what they did last night, their new item of clothing, what they are going to play at recess, a book they have been reading—just anything they feel is important to share with their classmates. This type of experience also provides an opportunity for developing social interaction and for finding out that their friends have special interests and mutual concerns. Teachers who use this technique find that when the children know they are going to have a time to visit freely, they refrain from visiting at inappropriate times. Teachers can join in the conversations, thus using this “break” as an information-gathering time.
CHAPTER REVIEW 1. Define the terms self-acceptance and self-concept. Describe a child with a good sense of self-acceptance and self-concept. 2. Decide whether each of the following statements helps develop self-acceptance, does not help develop self-acceptance, or does not apply to the situation:
a. b. c. d.
holding a baby closely with tenderness. giving a baby enough vitamin C each day. encouraging a baby who tries to feed herself. teaching a child to feed himself when the parent wants the child to do it. e. leaving an infant alone as much as possible since too much touching spoils her. f. having early dental care. g. praising a child who dresses himself. h. discouraging the child’s messy eating habits. i. getting yearly eye examinations. j. making a child ashamed of an inability to walk well. 3. Choose the answer that best completes each of the following statements about an art program and a child’s self-acceptance. a. An art program should be planned so that it is (a) adult-centered. (b) child-centered. (c) year round. b. With each child in the program, a teacher must (a) encourage the child to do more advanced work. (b) praise only successful work. (c) accept the child’s present level. c. To challenge children, the teacher must provide activities that are (a) a bit beyond their present level. (b) two or three years advanced. (c) for some children only. d. A well-planned art room (a) is best on the north side of the building. (b) has child-sized chairs and tables. (c) has mostly large chairs and tables. e. A teacher should choose art materials on the basis of the (a) age group using them. (b) price of materials. (c) type of distributor. f. A good reason for buying high-quality art materials is (a) the low cost of the materials. (b) children prefer quality materials. (c) the good results children get with quality materials. g. In planning art activities, a teacher must consider each child’s (a) ethnic origin and sex. (b) age. (c) age, ability, and interest level. h. Success in art projects (a) depends on having high-quality materials only. (b) helps the child’s pride and self-confidence. (c) depends on the teacher’s daily attitude.
CHAPTER 8 Art and Social-Emotional Growth
4.
5. 6. 7. 8. 9.
i. One good guide to help children’s self-confidence is to tell children (a) what they are doing right. (b) to improve their drawing. (c) to copy other children’s work. j. Another good guide to help children’s self-confidence is to (a) tell them what they are doing wrong. (b) guide their hands to help improve their drawing. (c) encourage them to try again after mistakes. Complete the statement in column I about child-tochild relationships by selecting the letter of the best choice from column II. Column I Column II 1. A child can accept A. see that not all people other children have the same ideas. 2. Sharing ideas helps B. affects all the other children school days to come. 3. Helping another C. makes the child feel child clean a brush good about herself. 4. Getting along with D. has no effect on a other children child. 5. A good preschool E. is an example of experience learning to cooperate. F. only after she accepts herself. Discuss why the teacher is so important in the preschool art program or any preschool program. List two ways a teacher can help a child feel accepted. List three things children learn by being part of a group. List some advantages for the child in a group. List some disadvantages for the child in a group.
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ADDITIONAL READINGS Eddowes, E. A., & Ralph, K. S. (1998). Interactions for development and learning: Birth through eight years. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice-Hall. Engle, B. S. (1999). Considering children’s art: How and why to value their works. Washington, DC: NAEYC. Henkin, R. (1998). Who’s invited to share? Using literacy to teach for equity and social justice. Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann. Hutchby, I., & Moran-Ellis, J. (Eds.). (1998). Children and social competence: Arenas of action. Hamden, CT: Falmer Press. Katz, L. G., & McClellan, D. E. (1997). Fostering children’s social competence: The teacher’s role. Washington, DC: NAEYC. Kindler, A. M., (Ed.). (1997). Child development in art. Reston, VA: National Art Education Association (NAEA). Mackenzie, J. (1999). Early learning: Experiences in critical thinking. Nashville, TN: Incentive Publications. McCadden, B. M. (1998). It’s hard to be good: Moral complexity, construction, and connection in a kindergarten classroom. New York: Peter Lang. McCracken, J. B. (Ed.). (1999). Reducing stress in young children’s lives. Washington, DC: NAEYC. Milbrath, C. (1998). Patterns of artistic development in children. New York: Cambridge University Press. Paley, V. G. (1999). The kindness of children. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press. Riley, S. S. (1998). How to generate values in young children: Integrity, honesty, individuality, self-confidence, and wisdom. Washington, DC: NAEYC.
BOOKS FOR CHILDREN
REFERENCES
PRESCHOOL
Brody, S., Siegel, M. G., & Rosenblum, A. (1992). The evolution of character: Birth to 18 years—A longitudinal study. Madison, CT: International Universities Press. Curry, N., & Johnson, C. (1990). Beyond self-esteem: Developing a genuine sense of human values (Booklet). Washington, DC: NAEYC. Dewey, J. (1958). Art as experience. New York: Capricorn Books/G.P. Putnam’s Sons. Katz, L. G., & McClellan, D. E. (1991). The teacher’s role in the social development of young children. Urbana, IL: ERIC Clearinghouse on Elementary and Early Childhood Education Kohn, A. (1990). The brighter side of human nature. New York: Basic Books. Lasky, L., & Mukerji, R. (1980). Art: Basic for young children. Washington, DC: NAEYC. Lowenfeld, V., & Brittain, W. L. (1987). Creative and mental growth (8th ed.). New York: Macmillan. Woodhead, M., Carr, R., & Light, P. (Eds.). (1991). Growing up in a changing society: Child development in social context III. London: Routledge.
Aaron, J. (1998). When I’m angry. New York: Golden Books. Aaron, J. (1998). When I’m jealous. Boulder, CO: Western Publishing Co. Aaron, J. (1998). When I’m sad. Boulder, CO: Western Publishing Co. Aliki. (1986). Manners. New York: Greenwillow. Anastasio, D. (1999). Pass the peas, please: A book of manners. Los Angeles: Lowell House. Blake, Q. (1994). Simpkin. New York: Viking. Bourgeois, P. (1995). Franklin and me. New York: Scholastic. Bourgeois, P. (1999). Franklin wants a pet. Topeka, KS: Econo-Clad Books. Bourgeois, P. (1999). Franklin is sorry. New York: Scholastic. Bourgeois, P. (1999). Franklin is bossy. Topeka, KS: Econo-Clad Books. Bourgeois, P. (1999). Franklin is messy. Topeka, KS: Econo-Clad Books.
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Bourgeois, P. (1999). Franklin’s blanket. Topeka, KS: Econo-Clad Books. Bourgeois, P. (1999). Franklin’s bad day. Topeka, KS: Econo-Clad Books. Bourgeois, P. (1999). Franklin is lost. Topeka, KS: EconoClad Books. Bourgeois, P. (1999). Franklin fibs. Topeka, KS: EconoClad Books. Bourgeois, P. (1999). Franklin in the dark. Topeka, KS: Econo-Clad Books. Bourgeois, P. (1998). Finders keepers for Franklin. San Francisco: General Distribution Services, Inc. Bourgeois, P. (1999). Franklin’s new friend. Topeka, KS: Econo-Clad Books. Carter, D. A. (1998). Love bugs. New York: Simon & Schuster. Carter, D. A. (1995). Feely bugs. New York: Simon & Schuster. Carter, N., & Carter, D. (1991). I’m a little mouse. New York: Holt. Civardi, A. (1990). The new baby. Asheville, NC: Usborne. Cole, J. (1997). I’m a big sister. New York: Morrow. Cole, J. (1997). I’m a big brother. New York: Morrow. Cole, J. (1999). How I was adopted. New York: Morrow. Cooke, T. (1994). So much. New York: Candlewick. Cuyler, M. (1993). That’s good! That’s bad. New York: Holt. Dijs, C. (1996). Daddy, would you love me if…? New York: Simon & Schuster. Dijs, C. (1996). Mommy, would you love me if…? New York: Simon & Schuster. Driscoll, D. (1994). Three two one day. New York: Simon & Schuster. Emberley, E. (1992). Go away, big green monster. Boston: Little Brown. Feiffr, J. (1999). Bark, George. New York: HarperCollins. Feiffr, J. (1998). I lost my bear. New York: Morrow Junior Books. Fleming, D. (1999). Mama cat has three kittens. New York: Henry Holt Books for Young Readers. Harris, P. (1998). Mouse creeps. New York: Dial Books for Young Readers. Henkes, K. (1993). Owen. New York: Greenwillow. Hill, E. (1996). Spot sleeps over. New York: Putnam. Hill, E. (1997). Spot goes to a party. New York: Putnam. Hines, A. G. (1995). Big help! New York: Clarion. Keller, H. (1998). Brave Horace. New York: Greenwillow. Meade, H. (1998). John Willy and Freddy McGee. Tarrytown, NY: Cavendish. Meade, H. (1999). Hush! Tarrytown, NY: Cavendish. Miller, M. (1996). Now I’m big. New York: Greenwillow. Murphy, M. (1999). Please be quiet! Boston: Houghton Mifflin. Nickle, J. (1999). The any bully. New York: Scholastic. Parrish, P. (1999). I can, can you? New York: Greenwillow. Petty, K., & Firman, C. (1991). Being bullied. New York: Barron’s.
Raschka, C. (1999). Like likes like. New York: DK Publishing. Raschka, C. (1999). Arlene sardine. Chicago: Orchard Books. Rattigan, J. K. (1994). Truman’s aunt farm. Boston: Houghton Mifflin. Reiser, L. (1997). Best friends think alike. New York: Greenwillow. Scarry, R. (1995). Pig will and pig won’t: A book of manners. New York: Random House. Shannon, D. (1998). No, David! New York: Blue Sky Press. Sherry, T., (Ed.). (1999). Busy Preschool. New York: Penguin Putnam Books. Shott, S. (1991). Look at me. New York: Dutton. Waddell, M. (1993). Let’s go home, little bear. New York: Candlewick. Warnes, T. (1998). We love preschool. Brookfield, CT: Millbrook. Wilson-Max, K. (1999). L is for loving: An abc for the way you feel. New York: Hyperion.
KINDERGARTEN–GRADE 3 Arnold, M. D. (1998). The Chicken salad club. New York: Dial. Appelt, K. (1999). Someone’s come to our house. Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans Books. Aliki. (1998). Marianthe’s story: Painted words, spoken memories. New York: Greenwillow. Binch, C. (1998). Since dad left. Brookfield, CT: Millbrook Press. Beard, D. B. (1998). The flimflam man. New York: Farrar, Giroux, Straus. Brown, R. (1997). Cry baby. New York: Dutton. Brown, L. K., & Brown, M. (1998). How to be friends: A guide to making friends and keeping them. Boston: Little Brown. Cadnum, M. (1997). The lost and found house. New York: Viking. Cain, S. (1998). Why so sad, brown rabbit? New York: Dutton. Carling, A. L. (1998). Mama & Papa have a store. New York: Dial. Clark, E. C. (1999). I love you, blue kangaroo. New York: Doubleday. Cleary, B. (1999). Ramona’s world. New York: Morrow. Creech, S. (1999). Bloomability. New York: HarperCollins. DePaola, T. (1999). 26 Fairmont Avenue. New York: Putnam. Gerzig, A. C. (1998). Bronco busters. New York: The Putnam and Gosset Group. Grindley, S. (1998). A flag for grandma. New York: DK Publishing. Hahn, M. D. (1999). Anna all year round. New York: Clarion. Halperin, W. A. (1998). Once upon a company—A true story. Chicago: Orchard Books.
CHAPTER 8 Art and Social-Emotional Growth
Havill, J. (1999). Jamaica and the substitute teacher. Boston: Houghton. Hesse, K. (1999). Just juice. New York: Scholastic. Hoban, L. (1999). Arthur’s birthday party. New York: HarperCollins. Hobbie, H. (1999). Toot & Puddle: You are my sunshine. Boston: Little Brown. Hughes, S. (1997). All about Alfie. New York: Lothrop, Lee & Shepard. Johnson, J. (1999). My dear Noel: The story of a letter from Beatrix Potter. New York: Dial. Johnston, T. (1998). Bigfoot Cinderrrrrella. New York: Putnam. Karon, J. (1998). Miss Fannie’s hat. Minneapolis: Augsbury Fortress Publications. Kirk, D. (1998). Bigger. New York: Putnam. Lear, E. (1999). The owl and the pussycat. New York: di Capua/HarperCollins. Lester, H. (1999). Hooway for Wodney Wat. Boston: Houghton. Lewin, B. (1997). What’s the matter, Habibi? New York: Clarion. Lindgren, B. (1999). Benny’s had enough!. New York: Farrar. Look, L. (1999). Love as strong as ginger. New York: Atheneum. Mallat, K. (1999). Brave bear. New York: Walker Publishers. Meddaugh, S. (1998). Martha walks the dog. Boston: Houghton. Mills, C. (1999). Gus and grandpa and the two-wheeled bike. New York: Farrar. Pfister, M. (1998). How Leo learned to be king. Miami, FL: North-South Books. Reiser, L. (1998). Cherry pies and lullabies. New York: Greenwillow. Roche, D. (1998). Art around the world loo-loo, boo, and more art you can do. Boston: Houghton Mifflin. Root, P. (1998). Aunt Nancy and cousin Lazybones. New York: Candlewick. Roth, C. (1999). Little bunny’s sleepless night. San Francisco, CA: Chronicle Books. Sage, J. (1998). Sassy Gracie. New York: Dutton. Sasso, S. E. (1998). God in between. Woodstock, VT: Jewish Lights Publishing. Van Leeuwen, A. (1999). Amanda pig: Schoolgirl. New York: Puffin Books. Van Leeuwen, J. (1998). The tickle stories. New York: Dial. Wells, R. (1997). McDuff and the baby. New York: Hyperion.
GRADES 4–5 Adams, L. K. (1999). Dealing with hurt feelings. Sherman Oaks, CA: Hazelden Information and Educational Services. Andrews, K. (1999). Grow up, Amy (Vol. 4). New York: Morrow.
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Bolden, T. (Ed.). (1994). Rites of passage: Stories about growing up by Black writers from around the world. New York: Hyperion. Brumbeau, J. (1999). The quiltmaker’s gift. Duluth, MN: Pfeifer-Hamilton Publishers. Carter, R. (1996). Me and the geezer: A true story about growing up in Little League style. Claremont, CA: Harbour Books. Cook, D. C. (1999). In the beginning what: Good feelings about the way you’re made. Colorado Springs, CO: David C. Cook Publishing. Danziger, P. (1999). Amber Brown is feeling blue. New York: Scholastic. Ehrlich, A. (Ed.). (1999). Original stories about growing up ( Vol. 2). New York: Candlewick. Evans, L. (1999). Sometimes I feel like a storm cloud. Greenvale, NY: Mondo Publishing. Fritz, M. (1999). Homesick: My own story. New York: Putnam. Gellman, M. (1998). Always wear clean underwear! And other ways parents say “I love you.” New York: Morrow. Girls Life Magazine (Ed.). (2000). The Girl’s Life guide to growing up. Hillsboro, OR: Beyond Words Publishing. Goodrich, R. S., & Goodrich, M. S. (1996). A rock grows up: The Pacific Northwest up close and personal. Lake Oswego, OR: Geo Quest Publications. Graves, D. (1996). Baseball, snakes and summer squash: Poems about growing up. Honesdale, PA: Boyds Mills Press. Grimm, G., & Ihrig, K. (1995). Light up your mind with a positive self-concept. New York: Paperback Books. Harber, F. (1998). The brothers’ promise. Morton Grove, IL: Whitman. Helmer, D. S. (1999). Let’s talk about feeling sad. New York: Rosen Publishing. Holyoke, N. (1995). Help! An absolutely indispensable guide to life for girls. Middleton, WI: Pleasant Company Publications. Hughes, D. (1999). No fear (Vol. 8). New York: Simon & Schuster. Johnson, L., Johnson, L., & Johnson, C. (1999). Charisse and Leah’s—“I feel good about me” journals: The dreamers. Teaneck, NJ: Licensing by Loren, Inc. Joslin, M. (1999). The goodbye boat. Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans Books. Kerson, A. (1993). Terror in the towers. New York: Knopf. Lowry, L. (1998). Looking back: A book of memories. Boston: Houghton Mifflin. Manes, S. (1982). Be a perfect person in just three days! New York: Clarion. McCourt, L. (1997). I love you, stinky face. Moraga, CA: Bridgewater. McCourt, L., and McCourt, A. (2000). Tips to help you deal, feel and be real. Moraga, CA: Bridgewater. McElfresh, L. E. (1999). Can you feel the thunder? New York: Simon & Schuster. Monson-Barton, M. (Ed.). (1999). Girls know best 2: Tips on life and fun stuff to do. Hillsboro, OR: Beyond Words Publishing.
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Morrison, Y. M. (1999). You are okay: It’s normal to have good and bad feelings. Fresno, CA: Natural High Books. Najar, Q. (1996). Burhaan Khan: Six tales about growing up. Flushing, NY: Amirah Publishing. Nhuong, H., Nhuong, Q., & McKay, E. (1999). Water buffalo days: Growing up in Vietnam. New York: HarperCollins. Pinkney, J. (1998). The talking eggs. New York: Dial. Pringle, L. (1997). Naming the cat. New York: Walker & Company. Rice, D. L. (2000). Do animals have feelings too? Nevada City, CA: Dawn Publications. Riccio, N. M. (2000). Five kids and a monkey unscramble Violet: A learning adventure about handling emotions. Canterbury, NH: Creative Attic. Romain, T., & Verdick, E. (2000). Stress can really get on your nerves. Chattanooga, TN: Free Spirit Publishing. Sanders, P., & Myers, S. (2000). Love, hate and other feelings. Brookfield, CT: Millbrook. Seuling, B. (1999). Oh no, it’s Robert. Chicago: Front Street/Cricket Books. Stine, R. L. (1999). Nightmare hour. New York: HarperCollins. Vinocur, T. (1999). Dogs helping kids with feelings. New York: Rosen Publishing Group. Watts, I. N. (1998). Good-bye Marianne: A story of growing up in Nazi Germany. Plattsburgh, NY: Tundra Books of Northern New York. Wisniewski, D. (1998). The secret knowledge of grownups. New York: Lothrop, Lee and Shepard.
SOFTWARE FOR CHILDREN PRESCHOOL A color clown comes to town. (1998). Seattle, WA: DiAMAR Interactive. A fin fin animated story book. (1998). San Francisco, CA: Fujitsu Interactive. A story about me. (1996). New York: Philips Media. Adventure in Pollyville. (1996). El Segundo, CA: Mattel Media, Inc. Arthur’s birthday (new version). (1997). Novato, CA: The Learning Company. Babe and friends animated preschool adventure. (1998). Calabasas, CA: Sound Source Interactive. Baby Felix creativity center. (1997). Beverly Hills, CA: Fox Interactive. Baby ROM. (1995). New York: Byron Preiss Multimedia.
The Berenstein bears get in a fight. (1995). Cambridge, MA: The Learning Company. Playground of friends. (1998). San Mateo, CA: Comfy Interactive. Preschool success starter. (1999). Novato, CA: Broderbund.
KINDERGARTEN–GRADE 3 3-D body adventure. (1994). Torrance, CA: Knowledge Adventure. A girl’s world (www.agirlsworld.com). (1997). Oceanside, CA: A Girl’s World Productions. All dogs go to heaven. (1997). Santa Monica: MGM Interactive. Arthur’s 2nd grade. (1999). Cambridge, MA: The Learning Company. Away We Go! (1999). Berkeley, CA: Scientific Learning Corp. Baby sitter’s club 3rd and 4th grade activity center. (1997). Fremont, CA: Creative Wonders (The Learning Company). Babyz. (1999). Novato, CA: Mindscape (The Learning Company). Bears at Work. (1996). San Rafael, CA: Palladium Interactive. Behind the wheel: Following directions. (1996). Tucson, AZ: MindPlay. The Berenstein bears in the dark. (1996). Cambridge, MA: The Learning Company. Big thinker’s second grade. (1997). Bothell, WA: Humongous Entertainment.
GRADES 4–5 American Girls. (1997). Cambridge, MA: The Learning Company. Buggle gum: Crisis’ collector’s edition DVD-ROM. (2000). Seattle, WA: Multimedia 2000. Conquer the World. (1999). Hunt Valley, MD: MicroProse. Logical journey of the Zoombinis. (1999). Novato, CA: Broderbund. Pajama Sam 2. (1998). Bothell, WA: Humongous Entertainment. Purple moon: Secret paths to your dreams CD-ROM. (1997). El Segunda, CA: Mattel Interactive.
For additional creative activity resources, visit our Web site at www.EarlyChildEd.delmar.com.
ART AND PHYSICALMENTAL GROWTH OBJECTIVES After studying this chapter, you should be able to: 1. Explain how art aids a child’s physical (motor) development. 2. Describe how art aids a child’s mental development. 3. Discuss the place of art in the total early childhood program.
T
his chapter presents the ways in which art relates to physical and mental growth. Physical, mental, social, and emotional growth all occur together in a child, but physical and mental growth are discussed separately here for the sake of clarity.
ART AND PHYSICAL (MOTOR) DEVELOPMENT The term motor development means physical growth. Both terms refer to growth in the ability of children to use their bodies. In an early childhood program, activities like dance, drawing, painting, pasting, and other activities that exercise muscles aid a child’s motor development. Exercising muscles in creative activities aids both smalland large-muscle development. Before we consider each of these types of motor development, let us look at the overall pattern of growth and development.
PATTERN OF DEVELOPMENT The process of human development follows a general pattern that includes growth in three basic directions (Figure 9–1). The first of these is called large to small muscle or gross to fine motor development. Large (gross) to small (fine) motor development means that large muscles develop in the neck, trunk, arms, and legs before the small muscles in the fingers, hands, wrists, and eyes develop. This is why young children can walk long before they are able to write or even scribble. The second direction of growth, from head to toe (or top to bottom), is called cephalocaudal development. This growth pattern explains why a baby is able to hold up his head long before he is able to walk, since the muscles develop from the head down. The third pattern of development is from inside to outside (or from center to outside) and is called proximodental development. This explains the ability of a baby to roll over before he is able to push himself up
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FIGURE 9–1
The pattern of development.
with his arms. Because the inner muscles of the trunk develop first, rolling over comes before pulling or sitting up. Understanding these basic principles of development, especially large to small motor development, is important in planning appropriate art activities for young children. Let us now consider large and small motor development.
Since large muscles in the arms, legs, neck, and trunk develop first, by the time children reach the preschool age, they are able to use large muscles quite well. They can walk, run, sit, and stand at will. They can use their arms and hands quite easily in large movements like clapping and climbing. Younger children enjoy large motor play activities. Most three-yearolds and many four-year-olds are actively using their large muscles in running, wiggling, and jumping. They are not yet as developed in small motor skills (like cutting, tying, or lacing) as five-year-olds. The early childhood art program gives the child a chance to exercise large motor skills in many ways other than just in active games. Painting with a brush on a large piece of paper is as good a practice for largemuscle development as dancing. Whether it be wide arm movements made in brush strokes or arms moving to a musical beat, it is only by first developing these large muscles that a child can begin to develop small motor skills. Creative activities in the early childhood program provide many opportunities for exercising large-muscle skills. Activities that exercise large muscles include group murals, tracing body shapes, easel painting, claypounding, and crayon rubbings. (See end of chapter for more specific activities.)
SMALL-MUSCLE DEVELOPMENT Small muscles in fingers, hands, and wrists are used in art activities such as painting, cutting, pasting, and clay modeling. These small motor art activities and any other activity that involves the use of small muscles help exercise and develop a child’s fine motor control.
LARGE-MUSCLE DEVELOPMENT A child’s proportions are constantly changing as he grows because different parts of the body grow at different rates. Physical disproportions are common from birth to approximately age six as the upper body is generally longer and not in proportion to the lower body. As a consequence of these body proportions in which the legs and body are not developed in proportion to the upper body region, toddlers and preschoolers have a high center of gravity and are prone to falls. By age six, however, body proportions are more similar to those of an adult. When the child has matured to adultlike proportions, her center of gravity is more centrally located so that she achieves a greater sense of physical balance and is able to be more purposeful in her movements.
FIGURE 9–2
Small motor skills develop in art activities.
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FIGURE 9–3
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A child’s small muscles are exercised by using blunt scissors in art activities.
Small muscle skills are different for a child at different ages. For example, many three-year-olds do not have good small muscle development, so the muscles in their fingers and hands are not quite developed enough to enable them to use scissors easily. In the following report, a teacher found out that the planned art activity was, in fact, too difficult a small motor task for some of the children in the group. Making masks out of paper bags was a good experience for many of the children. However, I found that many other children had difficulty handling the scissors and became frustrated. They were eager to have the masks, but couldn’t handle the problem of not being able to manipulate the scissors [easily] enough to make a mask quickly. I tried to overcome this problem by helping them make the first holes, or cutting out part of an eye, and letting the child finish the job. Perhaps many theorists would say that I should have let them do it by themselves completely. But I just felt that their eagerness to make the mask and to complete the cutting once I had helped them was not to be overlooked. The children all wanted to take home their masks and ran to put them in their lockers so they wouldn’t forget them. One little girl wore hers all day and had to be convinced that she couldn’t eat with it on! (Author’s log)
Practice in crushing and tearing paper, and later practice in using blunt scissors, all help small muscles develop. The better the small muscle development, the easier it will be to cut with scissors. Small muscles can
FIGURE 9–4
This child is using the small muscles in her hands, fingers, and wrists.
grow stronger only by practice and exercise. A teacher encourages a child to exercise these small muscles in small motor artwork, such as tearing, pasting, working with clay, making and playing with puppets, and finger painting. A teacher also encourages a child to exercise small muscles by providing the right small motor tools. The teacher in the following report managed to use clay as the medium for helping children practice small motor skills. In my activities I wanted to emphasize fine motor development, so I used clay with different-sized soda straw pieces, toothpicks, buttons, etc., to stick in the clay. The children made animals, designs, and monsters. They kept up a running commentary on how they were making a monster and could smash it if they wanted to. It seemed that the clay was a good means of having them release their fears, ideas, and emotions on many things. This clay activity went over very well. During the day, many different, as well as the same, children came back to play at the clay table. (Author’s log)
Small muscles are often better developed in fourand five-year-olds. However, small motor activities are
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still necessary for continued small muscle development. Drawing with pencils, crushing paper into shapes, modeling figures with clay, and making mobiles are examples of more advanced small motor activities. Working with small muscles in small motor art activities helps make learning to write much easier for the child. The control over hand and finger movements used for finger painting and clay modeling is the same control the child needs to be able to write. Early childhood art activities give the child a chance to practice and develop the small motor skills needed in schoolwork to come. LARGE AND SMALL MOTOR ACTIVITIES The early childhood art program should have a good mixture of both small and large motor tools and activities. A child needs to develop both large and small muscles, and artwork provides this chance. The teacher needs to respect each child’s need to develop both large and small muscles at any age. This means a teacher needs the right equipment, but more important, the right attitude for the level of each child. The right attitude is one that lets the child know it is all right to try many large and small motor activities at any age. In this type of art program, not all four-year-olds are expected to cut well, to button a shirt successfully, or to be able to do either at all. Five-year-olds, as well as younger children, may enjoy pounding clay for no other purpose than the fun of pounding. Older children should also be allowed this same freedom of expression with both large and small muscle activities. Just because they may appear more grown, middle and upper elementary children still enjoy “messing around” with clay and even fingerpaints. In an art program with this type of freedom, a child naturally uses creative materials in a way that helps large and small muscles grow. HAND–EYE COORDINATION In the early childhood program, as children exercise their small and large muscles, they also improve their hand–eye coordination. Hand–eye coordination refers to the ability to use hand(s) and eyes at the same time. Painting is a good example. When children paint, they use their eyes to choose the colors and their hands to hold and use the brush. Hand–eye coordination is also used in clay modeling, making a mobile, pasting, and finger painting. In all of these art activities, the child is receiving practice in coordinating (using together) the hands and eyes.
FIGURE 9–5
Small muscles in the fingers and hands develop later than those in the legs and arms.
ART ACTIVITIES AND READING READINESS Hand–eye coordination is important for future schoolwork. Many reading experts feel that good hand–eye coordination helps a child learn to read. They feel that the ability to use hands and eyes together in activities like painting or playing ball helps a child learn the motor skills needed in reading. Holding a book in two hands and using the eyes to read from left to right is simple hand–eye coordination. Reading experts feel that the growth pattern of large to small muscles affects reading ability. In other words, a child must have a chance to develop large muscles before being able to use small muscles—such as the eyes in the right-to-left movements of reading. The side-to-side or lateral movements developed in such activities as painting and printing are also helpful in developing left-to-right tracking in reading. Thus, art activities are important for future reading as they exercise and develop hand–eye coordination and left-toright tracking. Explorations with art materials also offer opportunities to sharpen perceptions of form. Children note relationships between artistic two- and three-dimensional forms and the environment. “My clay is round like a pie,” “I drew a square like that book,” or “Look at the funny shape of my puppet’s head; it’s not like my head.” These expressions indicate that children are learning about form while being involved in creative activities. Visual acuity—the ability to see and recognize shape and form is implicit in all art activities. It is also an ability that needs to be developed for beginning reading.
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SUGGESTED ACTIVITIES
The Two-Year-Old Very active, short attention span
Provide pushing and pulling toys. Encourage play with pounding bench, punching bags, and soft clay. Provide opportunities both indoors and outdoors for active free play that involves climbing, running, sliding, tumbling.
Interest in physical manipulation, ability to stack several items, pull apart, fill, and empty containers
Provide stacking cups or blocks for stacking and unstacking. Provide pop-apart toys, such as beads, for taking apart. (Large enough not to swallow.) Provide opportunities for filling and emptying containers with sand, water, rice, beans, rocks, etc.
Increased development of fine motor skills
Provide crayons, chalk, paint, and paper for scribbling and painting. Be sure all materials are lead-free and nontoxic. Allow the child to “paint” the sidewalk, building, wheel toys, etc., with clear water and a brush large enough to handle. Provide opportunities to play with play dough, finger paint, paper for tearing, etc.
Increased development in language skills
Encourage the child to talk with you. Use pronouns such as “I,” “me,” “you,” “they,” “we.” Encourage the child to use these words. Talk with the child about pictures. Ask her to point to objects or name them. Always give the correct name for objects. Give directions to follow: “Close the door,” “Pick up the doll.” Be sure to make this a fun game. Teach the child the names of unusual objects such as fire extinguisher, thermometer, screwdriver, trivet.
Likes to imitate
Encourage finger plays. Recite nursery rhymes. Encourage the child to repeat them. Play “I am a mirror.” Stand or sit facing the child and have him copy everything you do.
Shows interest in dramatic play
Provide dolls, dress-up clothes, carriage, doll bed, toy telephones for pretend conversations.
Increased development of large motor skills
Provide opportunities for vigorous free play indoors and outdoors. Provide opportunities for climbing, jumping, riding wheel toys. Play “Follow-the-Leader,” requiring vigorous body movements.
Greater control over small muscles
Provide opportunities for free play with blocks in various sizes, shapes. Provide a variety of manipulative toys and activities such as pegboard and peg sets, tinker toys, puzzles with 3–8 pieces. Encourage children to dress and undress themselves, serve food, set the table, water the plants.
Greater motor coordination
Provide art activities. Encourage free expression with paint, crayons, chalk, colored pens, collage materials, clay, play dough. Be sure all materials are lead-free and nontoxic. Provide opportunities each day for reading stories to children in a group or individually. Encourage children to tell stories. Tape record their stories. Encourage children to talk about anything of interest.
The Three-Year-Old
Increased development of language skills and vocabulary
Beginning to understand number concepts. Usually can grasp concepts of 1, 2, and 3. Can count several numbers in a series but may leave some out.
FIGURE 9–6
Count objects of interest, e.g., cookies, cups, napkins, dolls. When possible, move them as you count. Allow children to count them. Display numbers in the room. Use calendars, charts, scales, and rulers.
Motor skills and characteristics of children, ages two through ten years, with suggested activities to encourage physical development. (Continued)
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SKILLS AND CHARACTERISTICS
SUGGESTED ACTIVITIES
Enjoys music and is beginning to be able to carry a tune, express rhythm
Provide music activities each day. Sing songs, create rhythms. Move body to music. Encourage children to make up songs. Tape record them and play them back for the children to dance to or to sing along with.
Curious about why and how things happen
Provide new experiences that arouse questions. Answer the questions simply and honestly. Use reference books with the child to find answers. Conduct simple science activities: What will the magnet pick up? Freeze water, make ice cream, plant seeds, make a terrarium, fly kite on a windy day.
Good balance and body coordination; increased development of small and large motor skills
Provide opportunities each day for vigorous free play. Provide opportunities for the child to walk on a curved line, a straight line, a balance beam. Encourage walking with a bean bag on the head. Games: “See how fast you can hop,” “See how far you can hop on one foot,” “See how high you can jump.” Provide opportunities to throw balls (medium-sized, soft), bean bags, yarn balls.
Small motor skills are developing most rapidly now. Drawings and art express world about them.
Provide opportunity for variety of artwork. Encourage children to tell a story or talk about their finished projects. Encourage children to mix primary colors to produce secondary colors. Name the colors with them.
Increasing hand–eye coordination
Encourage children to unzip, unsnap, and unbutton clothes. Dressing self is too difficult at this point. Encourage children to tear and cut. Encourage children to lace their shoes.
Ability to group items according to similar characteristics
Play lotto games. Group buttons as to color or size. Provide a mixture of seeds. Sort as to kind. At cleanup time, sort blocks according to shape. Play rhyming word games.
Increased understanding of concepts related to numbers, size and weight, colors, textures, distance and position, and time
In conversation, use words related to these concepts. Play “Follow Direction” games. Say, “Put the pencil beside the big block,” or “Crawl under the table.” Provide swatches of fabric and other materials that vary in texture. Talk about differences. Blindfold the children or have them cover their eyes and ask them to match duplicate textures. Build a simple bird feeder and provide feed for birds. Record the kinds of birds observed. Arrange field trips to various community locations of interest (park, fire station, police station). Provide variety of dress-up clothes. Encourage dramatic play through props such as cash register and empty food containers, tea set, and child-sized furniture.
The Four-Year-Old
Awareness of the world around them
Has a vivid imagination; enjoys dramatic play
The Five- and Six-Year-Old Good sense of balance and body coordination
Encourage body movement with records, stories, rhythms. Encourage skipping to music or rhymes. Teach them simple folk dances.
A tremendous drive for physical activity
Provide free play that encourages running, jumping, balancing, and climbing. Play tug-of-war. Encourage tumbling on a mat.
FIGURE 9–6
Motor skills and characteristics of children, ages two through ten years, with suggested activities to encourage physical development. (Continued)
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SUGGESTED ACTIVITIES
Development and coordination of small muscles in hands and fingers
Encourage opportunities to paint, draw, cut, paste, mold clay. Provide small peg games and other manipulative toys. Teach sewing with large needle and thread into egg cartons or punched cards. Provide simple carpentry experiences.
Increased hand–eye coordination
Allow children to copy designs of shapes, letters, and numbers. Show a child how his name is made with letters. Encourage catching small balls.
Ability to distinguish right from left
Play games that emphasize right from left. Games can require responses to directions such as “Put your right hand on your nose” or “Put your left foot on the green circle.
Can discriminate between weights, colors, sizes, textures, and shapes”
Play sorting games. Sort rocks as to weight; blocks as to weight or shape; marbles or seeds as to colors. Match fabric swatches.
Increased understanding of number concepts
Count anything of interest—cookies, napkins, cups, leaves, acorns, trees, children, teachers, boys, chairs, etc. Identify numbers visible on a calendar, clock, measuring containers, or other devices.
Enjoys jokes, nonsense rhymes, riddles
Read humorous stories, riddles, nonsense rhymes.
Enjoys creative, dramatic activities
Move body to dramatize opening of a flower, falling snow, leaves, rain, wiggly worms, snakes, blowing wind. Dramatize stories as they are read. Good stories to use are: Caps for Sale, Three Billy Goats Gruff, Three Bears.
Good sense of balance and body coordination.
Encourage movements that challenge the child such as horizontal and vertical jumps. Introduce more complex motor skills such as relay runs, obstacle courses, etc.
More directed in their drive for physical activity
Encourage free play that allows running, jumping, balancing, throwing and catching. Introduce basic sports such as baseball, basketball and soccer.
Good development and coordination of small muscles in hands and fingers
Provide many challenging and diverse art activities that allow for fine motor exercise. Encourage three-dimensional projects such as woodworking, papier mâché, costume-making, etc.
Improved hand–eye coordination
Continue to encourage tossing, throwing, and catching skills. Use activities that incorporate several skills such as dodge ball.
Learns to apply and refine perceptual skills developed earlier
Challenge children in art activities to see and express shape, form, color, and line in a variety of media. Provide activities that allow them to learn to identify and analyze relationships such as how light affects perception of colors, textures, and form.
Growing facility with use of numbers; can think more flexibly
Introduce the use of calculators for math problems. Challenge them with basic probability and estimation activities/problems. Allow them to work in small groups for problem-solving.
Has an increasingly sophisticated sense of humor
Provide jokebooks, humorous books, nonsense riddle and rhyme books. Encourage them to write their own humorous pieces.
Enjoys dramatic activities, but self-consciousness is becoming an issue
Encourage children to express themselves in short performances such as sketches, vignettes, “freeze-frame” scenes, and pantomime. Provide opportunities for them to see dramatic activities of other students (i.e., middle school play, dance rehearsal, etc.). Provide books, music, and artwork of great artists for children to experience. (Gallaghue & Ozmun, 1997)
The Six- to Ten-Year-Old
FIGURE 9–6
Motor skills and characteristics of children, ages two through ten years, with suggested activities to encourage physical development. (Continued)
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MOTOR CONTROL All that we have discussed thus far about muscle growth and hand–eye coordination falls under the general category of motor control. As children grow, they gain progressive control over their bodies. Children growing in small and large muscle skills and in hand–eye coordination are growing in total motor control. (Figure 9–6 contains suggested activities in art and other curriculum areas to enhance overall motor control for children ages two through ten.) The child’s work in various activities demonstrates this growing motor control. An observant teacher can assess an individual child’s motor skills in one activity and make judgments about his likely skill or ability in another area. For instance, when considering art activities, a teacher recognizes that early scribbling is the beginning of motor control. The child holds the crayon and scribbles with very little motor control. As children grow in motor control, they can control the direction of their scribbles, then control lines to make basic forms, and finally draw pictures. Therefore, a teacher can assess children’s general motor control by knowing their artwork. For example, the teacher who knows that a certain five-year-old cannot yet cut with scissors knows how to reply to parents who ask if this child is ready for piano lessons. Thus, observing each child’s motor control in artwork helps the teacher know each child’s motor control in other areas as well.
ART AND MENTAL DEVELOPMENT As children grow physically, they also grow mentally. This is because young children learn by doing. Jean Piaget, in his work with young children, describes a child’s learning by doing as “sensorimotor” development. The word sensorimotor derives from the two words sensory and motor. Sensory refers to using the five body senses and motor refers to the physical act of doing. Sensorimotor learning involves the body and its senses (sensori) as they are used in doing (motor). For Piaget (1955), the foundation of all mental development takes place in physical knowledge, the knowledge that comes from objects. Children construct physical knowledge by acting on objects—feeling, tasting, smelling, seeing, and hearing them. They cause objects to move—throwing, banging, blowing, pushing, and pulling them. They observe changes that take place in objects when they are mixed together, heated, cooled, or changed in some other way. As physical knowledge
develops, children become better able to establish relationships (comparing, classifying, ordering) between and among the objects they act upon. .
SENSORIMOTOR LEARNING IN ART An example of sensorimotor learning in art is modeling with clay. In using clay (the motor activity), children use their senses (sensory), such as feel and smell, to learn about clay and how to use it. A teacher can tell the children how clay feels and how to use it; but children truly learn about clay by physically using it themselves. A child needs this sensorimotor exploration with clay and many other art materials. In the art program, children learn many things in this sensorimotor way—learning by doing. Many ideas and concepts are learned from different art activities. Just as children exercise different muscles in art activities, they also learn new concepts in many kinds of art activities. Exploring and creating with art materials encourages children use their senses in order to become more aware of the environment.
CREATIVE ACTIVITIES AND THE SENSES
Touch. Art activities that use the sense of touch teach children many important concepts. For example, working with clay helps them learn the concepts of hard and soft. The children feel the softness of clay in their hands as they work with it. When the clay is old and needs water, they feel how hard it has become. In using clay this way, children learn not only that clay is soft, but that it can be hard, too.
FIGURE 9–7
Young children learn mentally as they do things physically.
CHAPTER 9 Art and Physical-Mental Growth
FIGURE 9–8
Seeking answers and finding new ways to approach old problems are part of the emotional growth in early childhood programs.
Increased ability to discriminate among textures develops through creative activities. Children use a variety of papers and fabrics for collages, rub crayons over different materials, and print with many objects on diverse surfaces. Opportunities to learn about texture abound at the workbench: the roughness of sandpaper, the smoothness of the dowel, and the sharpness of the wood splinter. Textured art materials help children reinforce knowledge about the physical appearance of people and animals. Yarn, cotton, and fur fabric may be used for people’s hair, beards, and mustaches or for animal coats. You may want to try some of the activities suggested at the end of this chapter to help develop children’s sense of touch.
Sight.
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Art activities involve the sense of sight as well as touch. A child sees and feels the art material being used. The sense of sight in artwork helps the child learn many important concepts. The child sees the sameness and the difference in size, color, shape, and texture when working with different materials. He learns concepts like big/small and wide/thin by using many types of art materials. A child sees that different sizes of crayons make different sizes of lines. Wide brushes make paint strokes that look different from strokes made with a thin brush. He learns that a figure drawn with a felt-tip pen looks different from the same figure made with paint and a brush. Ideas about basic shapes are learned in by cutting with scissors, working with clay, painting, and drawing. A child also sees many basic shapes in the scrap materials used for a collage.
FIGURE 9–9
Young children learn about their world in active ways.
In artwork, the child sees that things can look alike but feel different. Sand and cornmeal may look alike, but they feel different to the child as they are glued onto paper. In this way, she learns that the sense of sight alone is not enough to really learn about a material. In art activities, older children learn to see and use the elements of art in their work. For example, they learn to use line and shape to express a certain mood or feeling in a drawing.
Color concepts. Concepts about colors are learned in the art program. While painting and drawing, children learn the names of colors, how to mix colors, and how to make colors lighter or darker. In such a sensorimotor experience, the child learns that colors are not set things, but things that the child himself can change. When children start to perceive differences in color, they experiment with light and dark hues and tints and mixtures. Contrasts of brilliant and dull and warm and cool colors are juxtaposed for effect. Linear patterns are created with two- and three-dimensional art media. Children can make sharp lines, curved lines, coils, and squiggles with paint, crayon, string, yarn, and wire. In rural areas children observe the slant of tall wheat and grasses, while city children notice the sharp contrasts in city skylines. Older children learn that colors can be cold or warm and use these colors to express a mood in their paintings.
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INFLEXIBLE THINKING: Child thinks: WATER
ICE always becomes
FLEXIBLE THINKING: Child thinks: WATER ICE
sometimes becomes sometimes becomes
WATER STEAM
sometimes becomes sometimes becomes
INFLEXIBLE THOUGHT
FIGURE 9–10
WATER STEAM WATER
THINGS ARE PERMANENT
=
Physical activity abounds in an early childhood program. INFLEXIBLE THOUGHT
Concept of change. The idea of change is an important thing for the child to know and is a concept that develops slowly. Piaget (1955), in his writings about the growth of intelligence in young children, emphasizes the fact that mental growth is aided by a child’s active exploration of the environment. The child, according to Piaget, gradually comes to understand about how things can change as he experiences different materials in various situations in his environment. For example, by using color, mixing colors, and making color lighter or darker, the child learns that things can change. Clay can change from hard to soft. Plaster can change from liquid to solid. “Learning by doing” in art helps a child grow mentally, as he grows more flexible in his thinking. The child learns to think of things in the context of change and that not all things are permanent. The ability to think this way is called flexible thinking (Figure 9–11). Art activities with a variety of materials encourage flexibility of thought. In making a collage, the characteristics of different items are compared and relationships are discovered between the new and the familiar items. Flexibility of thought is encouraged as children associate particular tools with certain processes and learn which tools work best with various materials. For example, a thin brush will make a thin line with paint, and a thick one creates a broader stroke. A sharp needle is needed to sew through felt, but a blunt one works well for open-weave fabrics. Being able to think flexibly helps children become mentally prepared for later school experiences. Math, spelling, and science all require thinking that can deal
ICE
THINGS ARE PERMANENT
= =
FIGURE 9–11
Inflexible and flexible thinking.
with change. In science, for example, a cooking lesson involves changes that ingredients go through in the process of becoming a cake. In math activities, a child learns how numbers can change by such things as addition and subtraction. In spelling, children learn how words change with plurals, suffixes, and prefixes. Flexibility in thought processes is, therefore, basic to most of a child’s subsequent learning experiences. VOCABULARY AND ART An expanding vocabulary about creative materials and processes is a natural partner to the activity itself. Children working with art materials will use descriptive terms for the media and the resulting creations. The teacher’s use of particular words to compare size, weight, color, texture, and shape influences children’s descriptions of their artwork. Previous knowledge is combined with new information as oral language develops. “Gushy, mushy, wet paint,” chanted threeyear-old Laura as she pushed the finger paint around on the tabletop. “Gushy, mushy, red paint,” responded one of her tablemates.
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Learning Activities Everywhere! Appropriate Sensorimotor Experiences Including appropriate experiences for young children’s sensorimotor learning is not really that difficult to do in the daily schedule. The early childhood program abounds with everyday experiences that are appropriate for sensorimotor development. Consider the following possibilities with painting. Young children love to paint; they enjoy experimenting with color and can be quite creative in their artistic expression. You can use experiences with painting to heighten children’s awareness of colors and color changes. As children become familiar with the primary and secondary colors through painting activities (naming or labeling colors is not necessary at this time), color matching and sorting on the basis of visual comparisons can gradually be introduced. As the children use different colors in their paintings, you can encourage them to match the colors of their paints to the clothes they are wearing or to other objects in the room. Further opportunities for developing color perception can be made available through experience with mixing paints. During painting activities, children may mix paints together and produce a new or different color. You need to help children focus on this color change; the observation that a change has taken place, however, is more important at this stage than what combination of colors produced the change. Children can even be encouraged, through the teacher’s example, to experiment by mixing different paints to discover what happens. An activity that allows children to combine colors (mixing food colors in water or mixing paints) is an excellent example of observing changes in objects, a type of physical knowledge activity. Tactile (sensory) experiences can also evolve from children’s painting. Their dried, finished products may be lumpy or bumpy in some spots and smooth in others. Having children carefully feel their dried paintings enhances their sense of touch and begins to focus their attention on different kinds of surfaces. Appropriate language—smooth, rough, bumpy, scratchy—can be introduced. Thus, an added dimension of an object’s properties, that of roughness or smoothness, begins to become part of the child’s developing knowledge.
As children grow and develop through art, they begin to use words such as thick, thin, hard, soft, straight, curved, dark, light, smooth, and sticky. Vocabulary that indicates direction is also quickly assimilated into the children’s arena of understanding when they work with art materials. Five-year-old children show how much they have learned with statements like these: “I wrote my name at the top,” “I put a board under the clay,” and “I drew smoke coming out of the chimney.” The teacher introduces words like soft and smooth to describe the feel of velvet material. Scraps of burlap are called rough, bumpy, or scratchy. Even the word texture is one that can be used with young children. As they feel the different kinds of cloth, the different “feels” can easily be called “textures.” Children then put together in their minds the feel of the velvet with the words soft, smooth, and texture. This is sensorimotor learning—learning through sensing as well as by association. Learning to notice the different way things feel teaches a child about concepts that are opposite, which are important in subjects like math and science. The difference between hard and soft is similar to the differ-
ence between adding and subtracting in math; both ideas are opposites. A child learns in art that soft is not the same as hard. In math, a child learns that adding is different from or the opposite of subtracting. Mastering opposite concepts used in doing artwork thus helps the child learn the mental concepts needed later in other school subjects.
ART AND THE TOTAL PROGRAM The early childhood art program helps a young child grow in social, emotional, physical, and mental ways. It gives children a chance to be themselves and grow at their own individual paces. Art should not be the only part of the early childhood program where this growth can occur, however. Freedom for growing at the child’s own pace should be part of the whole early childhood program. The exploring, creating, and relaxing parts of artwork should be part of all the other early childhood activities. (Activities in these other program areas are included in subsequent chapters.)
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Art helps a child grow through creative thinking and feeling, not only about art but about all other things. The confidence and good feelings about themselves and their work that children develop in art apply to
other things in and out of school. Seen in this way, art cannot be thought of as a separate part of the program. It is and always must be an approach to learning inseparable from all the rest.
Motor Development and Movement
As you are reading this chapter, have you sat still for an uninterrupted time? Or did you get up to move around some? Did you take a break for a while during your reading? Did you get up to call and talk with a friend on the phone? Consider how adults learn. Sometimes when they are working, adults need to spread out materials on a floor or table. At other times, adults retreat to a “snug spot” to read and reflect. At other times, adults need to talk with friends to chat about work and ideas. None of these facts are surprising to you. Yet they are surprising when we start to apply these same facts to children. With children, do we allow the same flexibility in space and preferences that we, as adults, take for granted in our learning environment? Children need the same access—access to a range of working spaces, access to materials, access to other children and adults. We need to provide environments for children that have different working spaces to meet the demands of a child’s particular task and way of making meaning. Especially for older children, rather than having their own assigned seat or desk, children can be members of a wider creative workshop community, sitting where and with whom they need to for the task at hand. In early childhood classrooms, children need the flexibility to change where they are working depending on the varied needs and nature of their tasks. Socially it allows them to work alone when they need undisturbed time or to seek out spaces that accommodate two or three others when they need to share ideas or to help each other. This in turn leads to far greater independence within the class. Children know they can turn to others besides the teacher for help and feedback, and they are likely to work toward solving their problems as part of a community rather than passively sitting at their desks, waiting for a teacher’s help. A classroom with this kind of flow and movement can be disconcerting to parents—and some teachers— the first time they experience it. But having watched this type of environment over the years, it is clear that these conditions add to children’s abilities to work for longer periods of time than many adults imagine. Just like adults, children need spaces to work, not one designated space. Assigning children to one work spot day after day doesn’t give them the chance to learn how they work best. Children, in their workplaces and creative environments, need the same tools adults do. This doesn’t mean that there is one magic formula for the physical layout of the classroom. Teachers create different environments with their children that set the stage for stimulating learning. For example, one teacher used this arrangement: She set up her room with a variety of areas rather than centers. Over one small round table hung a sign, “Quiet! Genius at work.” This was a place designated for children to work where they wouldn’t be disturbed. Other tables were pushed together, in fours or twos, and there were several longer tables that would seat up to six children for larger group work. At one point in the year, this teacher’s classroom included a listening area with many books created by the children and “published” in class as well as recordings of children reading their stories; a bird feeder outside the window with pads of paper and pencils for observations; and a long publishing table with enough room to spread out covers, glue, binding materials, and labels. Organizing the classroom with areas like these shows the thought this teacher put into planning for the resources that children might need. What a difference from an assigned seat and a set schedule!
CHAPTER 9 Art and Physical-Mental Growth
SUMMARY Young children learn mentally as they do things physically. In the art program, they learn many important concepts that are used later in other learning experiences. Art activities involve children in sensorimotor learning through the use of the body, senses, and mind. Involving all the senses in art activities helps provide a complete learning experience for young children. Young children learn important concepts such as hard/soft and same/different by doing artwork. Artwork also helps in developing their mental abilities: learning to think flexibly; being able to see fine differences; being able to hear, listen, and follow directions; and learning new words. Finally, art helps them develop a creative mental attitude that will help in all school subjects. The creative aspects of art cannot and should not be separate from the total early childhood program.
KEY TERMS cephalocaudal development fine motor development flexible thinking gross motor development hand–eye coordination motor development proximodental development sensorimotor visual acuity
LEARNING ACTIVITIES 1. Observe children in a preschool program. Include observations in these program areas: (a) art center; (b) block center; and (c) housekeeping center. Describe the small and large motor development of children as demonstrated by their play in each of these areas. 2. Using the information in Figure 9–6, Motor skills and characteristics of children ages 2-10 years, create your own suggested activities for each of the age groups presented in this chart. 3. Listen to a group of children painting. Record or take notes on their conversations. Compare your observations to the information in this chapter on vocabulary and art. Discuss your findings with your classmates. 4. Observe in an early childhood classroom. Survey and describe the equipment and materials in the room for suitability for the following:
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(a) small and large motor activities (b) hand–eye coordination activities (c) reading readiness activities (d) motor coordination activities 5. Using your observations from #4 above, describe the strengths and weaknesses of the supplies and equipment in the classroom you observed. What would you suggest as ways to improve it?
ACTIVITIES FOR CHILDREN The following activities are designed to help the child exercise both small and large muscle skills and develop hand–eye coordination. Students should try the activities themselves, with classmates, and with children. SMALL MOTOR ACTIVITIES
Chalk. Fat, soft chalk of different colors mixes with ease and provides a great beginning for small motor, free expression. Chalk discourages tight, inhibited work and makes free expression easy. Covering each piece of chalk with a piece of aluminum foil, leaving about half an inch of the chalk exposed, prevents smearing. It also prevents the transferring of colors from one piece of chalk to another while they are stored. A variation: Try wetting the paper, especially brown paper bags, and then applying dry chalk; the colors will be bright and almost fluorescent. If a slippery surface is desired, liquid starch may be applied to the paper before the dry chalk. There is less friction with starch, and the paper is less likely to tear. Soaking pieces of large chalk in sugar water (one part sugar and two parts water) for about 15 minutes and then using the chalk on dry paper is another method of application. Sugar gives the chalk a shiny look when dry. Let the child experiment with all of these variations for small motor fun. Tearing, Punching, and Stapling. Children love to just tear, punch, and staple. Keep a stack of old magazines and newspapers on hand for this purpose. It is great small motor practice and lots of fun for young children. If you do not have a paper punch or if the child is too young to use it, the child can use the handle of a wooden spoon to punch large holes in the paper. If a paper punch is used, save the circles that the child punches from white waxed paper and put them in a jar full of water. After you fasten the lid on tightly, he can shake the jar and make a “snowstorm” inside. Give the child a variety of paper, such as smooth, bumpy, heavy, and tissue-thin, all in different colors.
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Challenge the child to tear a tiny shape, an enormous shape, a wide shape, and so on. The child might enjoy pasting or stapling all of the interesting, ragged shapes on a long piece of paper for a big, colorful mural. Tape the mural on an empty wall for all to see! ADDITIONAL SMALL MOTOR ACTIVITIES A. Decorate a Shirt Using wax crayons, have children color a picture on a white or light-colored shirt. Press with newspaper over the picture and on the ironing board. The picture will stay indefinitely. B. Watercolors and Salt Children love to paint with watercolors, but sometimes the colors seem too subtle and quiet. Once a picture is done (using enough water to make it a moist picture), bring out table salt and sprinkle a little over the picture while it is still wet. The salt causes the paint to separate and gives the painting a completely new look. This is a good activity to talk about change in objects and to discuss what the child sees as a change. C. Printing with Feet and Hands 1. Equipment: Finger paint and finger paint paper. 2. Procedure: Children step in finger paint and print their right feet and left feet and then their hands. This work could be saved and used in social studies for a book “all about me.” D. Shaving Cream Art An easy-to-do favorite is to take shaving cream and put a few squirts of it in an empty water table. Take food coloring and dye the shaving cream the color the children choose. Watching the shaving cream turn color is half the fun; the other half is to fingerpaint with the dyed shaving cream and save the design on paper. To save the design, put a clean sheet of white paper over the design drawn by the child, rub the paper, and lift. Hang to dry. Shaving cream is also great to use when there are a few minutes until cleanup time and the children are bored with what they are doing. Squeeze a little dab of shaving cream on a table in front of each child. Show how it grows, changes, and how designs, mountains, and squeezy-feely shapes can be made from the cream. When time allotted is over, each child can clean up with a sponge. The children and the table will shine and smell good. E. Creative “Find” Sculpture On a neighborhood walk, on a field trip, or from a child’s weekend trip with his family, collect an assortment of wood scraps such as driftwood, weathered boards, seashells, stones, twigs, dried
flowers, pine cones, and leaves. Use either a flat stone or piece of wood for the base of the sculpture. The rest is up to the child’s imagination; animals, designs, birds, etc., can be created. Simply assemble your creation and glue it together in place on the base. Markers can be used to draw in faces, make decorations, or add necessary details.
HAND–EYE COORDINATION ACTIVITIES A. Water Pouring Set up a pan filled with water. Provide differentsized plastic containers, squeeze bottles, funnels, and strainers. The children enjoy pouring water from one container to another. B. Block Bowling Set up a long unit block on the floor. The children sit in a circle around it. Each child has a chance to knock it down by rolling the ball at it. C. Music and Painting—Play music while the children paint. D. Ball Rolling Play catch with the children who are able, or roll the ball to the children who cannot catch yet. Notice which ones can catch and return the ball. Compare this ability with their motor control in art. E. Painting with Water (Outside Activity) Fill a bucket with water and let the children “paint” the building or sidewalk with water. The children should use large paintbrushes (one to two inches wide) and buckets of water small enough to be carried around.
ACTIVITIES FOR CHECKING MOTOR CONTROL A. Artwork Samples Collect examples of artwork from children aged two to six years. Divide up the examples into the degree of children’s motor control as seen in the examples. B. Obstacle Course Make an obstacle course of chairs, tables, or blocks to climb under, over, or around. Notice how easy or difficult it is for children aged three, four, and five. C. Action Songs Sing an action song, such as, “If You’re Happy and You Know It,” using different directions: “clap your hands,” “clap your hands and tap your head,” “clap your hands and shake your head.” Notice which children can do the combined actions and which can do the single actions. Note their ages.
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D. Rope Games Put a long rope on the floor in a zigzag pattern and have the children walk on it. Note how many of the children can do this and how well they can do it. Put the rope in a straight line and pretend it is a tightrope. The children “walk the tightrope” with a real or pretend umbrella in their hands for balance. Note the balancing ability of each child. Two children take turns holding the rope very high at first and then gradually lower and lower. The rest of the children go under the rope without touching it. Place the rope straight out on the floor. The children walk across it, hop on one foot across it, hop on two feet across it, crawl across it, jump across it, and cross it any other way they can think of. Note each child’s physical control. LARGE MOTOR ACTIVITIES A. Blanket Statues/Shapes (suitable for kindergarten and up) Have children make shapes using their bodies. Have them experiment with as many shapes and forms they choose. Then involve the children in making “blanket statues.” A child stays frozen in one position, and a blanket is placed over her to create a statue. Two children can create partner statues: one child rests on hands and knees and a second child rests on his back. Or two children stand three or four feet apart, facing one another, with their arms raised and reaching across, fingertips touching in an arch. These are just suggestions. Let the children’s creativity direct their movement. This activity is a good opportunity for photographs that can later be displayed. Older children may want to write captions for their photographs, creating their own documentary of the activity. B. Can You Guess What I Am? Collect about 15 to 20 different animal pictures. Place these in a box on a chair over to one side. From a group of children (a small group of 4-5 children works best) seated on the floor, the teacher chooses one child to pick out a picture from the box. The child then acts out the animal in the picture for the others to guess. Whoever guesses the animal is the next to pick out a picture to act out. As a variation, use transportation pictures such as a train, truck, jet, car, boat, bus, etc. ACTIVITIES FOR THE SENSES The following activities are designed to exercise the senses. Students should try the activities themselves, with classmates, and with children.
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Seeing Activities A. Exploring with a Magnifying Glass Provide children magnifying glasses and a tray full of different objects—stamps, coins, rocks, leaves, etc. Encourage young children to talk about what they are seeing. They might also want to draw or paint what they’ve seen. With older children, talk about the qualities of color, line, shape and other visual elements they see magnified in the objects. Provide opportunities to sketch what they see. Challenge them to draw a pattern or design using what they’ve seen in the magnifying glass. Use the magnifying glass outside on a nature walk. Encourage the children to talk about what they see. Provide them opportunities to express their reactions to “nature under glass” in two and three dimensional activities B. Paper Towel Telescopes Collect paper towel rolls for telescopes. The children use the paper towel roll to see their world in a sharper focus. Looking through a tube such as this helps children concentrate on a single area of focus. Encourage children to talk about what they see. Maybe later they will want to draw or paint about what they have seen. Older children can be challenged to see if they can see specific elements of design through their telescope. C. Examining Objects in Different Colors (Silverblatt, 1964) 1. Use different-colored pieces of transparent plastic or colored cellophane. 2. The children look at the things around them through transparent, colored material. They can see how the brown table looks through “yellow” or how the blue sky looks through “red,” for example. 3. When the children seem to understand how the color of different objects changes when seen through another color and have been satisfied using just a single color, they may look through two colors at once (superimpose red over blue) and see still another change. D. Mixing Paints (Silverblatt, 1964) 1. Six saucers, six teaspoons, and paint (red, blue, yellow, as a start) are needed. Each child may experiment with mixing paints while painting a picture. 2. A small amount of each color of paint may be placed in each of three saucers—a dish of red, one of blue, and one of yellow. Put a spoon in each and let the child mix the various colors in the three empty saucers. 3. A styrofoam egg carton may be used for mixing the colors. Prepare three separate juice cans of
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color (one red, one blue, and one yellow). Put an eyedropper in each can. The child drops the colors into each of the separate cups in the egg carton and mixes them with a tongue depressor or wooden stick. The egg carton can be rinsed out for another child’s use. E. Prism (Silverblatt, 1964) 1. Hang a prism in an area where it will be in the direct rays of the sun. 2. Call attention to the different colors seen in the prism itself and to those reflected on the wall. 3. Relate these colors to the colors seen in a rainbow. 4. Be on the lookout for a real rainbow and provide pictures of rainbows.
HEARING ACTIVITIES A. Room Noises 1. The children close their eyes and name the different sounds they hear in the room. 2. Make up noises and sounds (birds singing, blocks dropping, sawing wood, bells, drums and other instruments, tearing paper, water splashing, for example). Have the children guess what they are. 3. A child closes both eyes while another child speaks. The first child tries to guess who is speaking. B. Rattlesnake You will need a small plastic bottle with beans inside. The group closes their eyes and the “leader” walks around shaking the bottle. The group then points to the direction from which they hear the sound and identifies the level of sound, i.e., “high” or “low.” This can be played with one child as well. C. Sound Cans Place four different substances—a small block, a piece of clay, a piece of cotton, small amount of sand—in four identical cans. When all the lids are on, shuffle the cans. The child guesses what is in each can by the noise made as the can is shaken. D. Parrot Talk Use a paper bag puppet of a parrot, or just use your hands and fingers to look like the mouth of a parrot talking. Discuss with the child how parrots like to repeat everything they hear. Let the child speak first while you are the parrot and repeat everything the child says. Then you speak first and the child repeats. Begin with a single word and build up to a full sentence. Nonsensical words may also be used. Variation: Talk with the child about echoes and how they repeat the sounds two or three times. After you
have echoed something the child has said or a noise the child has made, by tapping for instance, let the child be your echo. SMELLING AND TASTING ACTIVITIES A. Painted Toast Make “paint” with 1⁄4 cup of milk and a few drops of food coloring. Paint designs or faces on white bread with a clean paintbrush. Toast the bread in a toaster. The bread can be buttered and eaten or used as part of a sandwich. This is a very popular tasting experience! B. Community Fruit Salad 1. To further experiment with how things taste, the children may help make a community fruit salad. Each child brings a different fruit: apples, peaches, pears, seedless grapes, tangerines. 2. The children help peel bananas and oranges, wash grapes, and cut the fruit with blunt or serrated knives. 3. The children should taste each fruit separately as they are preparing the salad. Then they should taste how the fruits taste together. 4. Talk about how each fruit tastes, looks, and smells different from the others.
ACTIVITIES FOR OLDER CHILDREN (GRADES 4–5) A. Link Art to Dance and Physical Movement. Older children have well-developed large and small muscles as well as good overall motor coordination. Challenge them to use these skills in creative ways. Choose several artists’ works that have a good deal of movement in the composition. Some suggestions are Van Gogh’s “Starry Night,” Jackson Pollock’s “Water Birds”, Jacob Lawrence’s “Strike”, or Edgar Degas’ “Ballet Scene.” Review with the children the elements of line and movement in art, while viewing one of the prints. Have them discuss the ways the artist used lines in the painting to show movement. Tell students that they will take turns modeling and drawing different movements. Then have volunteers pantomime individually or in small groups various kinds of movements such as those in dance, in a sport, or in a type of exercise. Have students observing the movement draw lines that represent or reflect the movements they are seeing. Continue the activity until students have filled their sheet of drawing paper with colorful lines. Then have students exchange roles.
CHAPTER 9 Art and Physical-Mental Growth
B. Understanding Composition by Posing a Picture. One of the most effective ways to help students understand the overall composition or structure of a work of art is to have them pose as a painting or sculpture. This requires some advance preparation on the part of the teacher. Scour your attic, basement, closets, the local resale shop for old items of clothing and props that resemble those depicted in the artwork you have chosen to pose. Some suggestions for this posing activity would be Diego Rivera’s “The Flower Carrier,” Jan Van Eyck’s “Arnolfini Marriage”, George Caleb Bingham’s “Wood Boatmen on a River”, Pieter de Hooch’s “Interior with People”, or Van Gogh’s “The Bedroom of Van Gogh at Arles.” Be creative. For example, posing “Washington Crossing the Delaware” by Leutz, you might borrow oars from a boat store. Assign clothing, props, and their position to your students and have them really study that part of the painting to notice facial expressions, body positions, relationship to other figures, the background, and so forth. If you have a large group, split it in half or thirds and have an audience comment on the accuracy of each group’s pose. Everyone gets to participate, and students remember the artwork better by recalling their own part in it. Posing is not only great fun but also of value in increasing understanding. For example, ask students which poses were easier to hold in order to point out how some paintings create a feeling of motion or imbalance while others give the impression of equilibrium or stability. C. Recreating a Still Life A similar activity to posing can be done for still life painting. This involves having the children re-create with real objects one of the paintings they have been studying. The teacher brings in as many items as possible that are found in the artwork. Ask each child to identify an object and place it in its proper position so that the finished arrangement approximates the original as closely as possible. This exercise enables students to comprehend some of the basic concerns of the still life painter: the use of light, the concepts of balance and harmony, the question of focus, and the problem of rendering three-dimensional objects on a twodimensional surface. Some suggestions of art to use with this activity are: William J. McCloskey’s “Wrapped Oranges”, Albert Dummouchel’s “Still Life”, Margaret Burroughs’ “Still Life”, Laura Wheeler Waring’s “Still Life”, and Gustave Caillebotte’s “Fruit Displayed on a Stand.”
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D. Shadowplay. Students often have difficulty determining the source of light in a painting. A simple way to demonstrate how shadows help us determine where light is coming from is to shine a flashlight on a ball from a variety of angles (behind the ball, to the left of the ball, above the ball, below the ball). Place the flashlight in the position before turning it on and ask the students if they can guess where the shadow will fall. (This exercise works best if the area around the ball is fairly plain and darkened somewhat so that the shadows can be seen clearly. Also the flashlight beam should be smaller than the ball.) One school did this activity near Groundhog’s Day and substituted a toy stuffed animal for the ball. E. Matching Colors Under Different Lights To demonstrate to students that light influences the way we see color, bring in various paint chips or cloth swatches. Be sure to have multiples of the same color available. Have the students view identical color samples under different light sources (fluorescent, incandescent, and natural). They will soon discover that it is almost impossible to match colors under different lighting conditions. The most accurate light for viewing colors is daylight. F. More Telescopes Visual perceptiveness is an important skill that comes into use not only when looking at a painting, but when reading a book, examining a map, even doing a math problem. To hone this ability, encourage students to look carefully for details in a painting. One way to accomplish this is to use “telescopes.” These are simply four-by-six-inch index cards that students roll up into tubes and look through. The teacher can ask them to find certain things in a painting and will be able to tell by the angle of the telescopes if the child is looking in the correct place. This is a technique artists have used themselves. Frederic Church handed out a rolled up piece of cardboard to everyone who came to see his painting “Heard of the Andes” when it was exhibited in 1864. G. Magnification—Once Again The use of a magnifying glass can heighten the enjoyment for older children when looking at certain paintings, especially those that are extremely detailed. Allow the students to use the magnifying glass one at a time and give them specific instructions as to what they should find. Explain to them that artists use very thin brushes in order to paint the tiniest details. The sixteenth-century Flemish master, Pieter Brueghel the Elder, supposedly used only a few cat’s hairs as a brush for his miniscule figures. Thus, a magnifying glass enables us to
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appreciate the artist’s creation more thoroughly. It also intrigues students to see even more than the eye alone can see.
CHAPTER REVIEW A. Physical Development 1. Define motor development. 2. List three examples of locations of small muscles. 3. Define small motor activities and give three examples. 4. Define large motor activities and give three examples. 5. List three examples of locations of large muscles. 6. Tell whether each of the following activities helps a child develop a small or a large motor skill. a. tracing body forms b. using scissors c. pounding clay d. finger painting e. finger puppets f. painting with a brush g. pounding nails h. clay modeling 7. Choose the answer that best completes each statement describing a child’s motor development in art. a. Most three-year-olds (a) have good small muscle development. (b) do not have good small muscle development. (c) have good small and large muscle development. b. One way to check small motor skill is by having a child (a) pound on clay. (b) walk a balance board. (c) cut paper with blunt scissors. c. Development of the body goes from (a) small muscles to large muscles. (b) large muscles to small muscles. (c.) arms to legs. d. In order to be able to use small muscles, a child must first be able to use (a) finger muscles. (b) large muscles. (c) eye muscles. e. By the time children are in preschool, they can use (a) small muscles quite well.
(b) both large and small muscles quite well. (c) large muscles quite well. f. An art activity that exercises large motor skills is (a) painting on large-sized paper with a wide brush. (b) cutting paper with scissors. (c) finger painting. g. In planning the art program, a teacher should include (a) mostly large motor activities for fouryear-olds. (b) mostly small motor activities for threeyear-olds. (c) both large and small motor activities for all ages. h. The age group that uses mostly large muscle activity is the (a) three-year-old. (b) four-year-old. (c) five-year-old. i. A teacher in the art program should let children know that they are free to (a) use only small motor activity. (b) try all types of activities. (c) try only large motor activity. 8. Define hand–eye coordination and give two examples of it. 9. Discuss what reading experts say about the importance of hand–eye coordination. 10. Describe how one can see motor control develop in a child’s artwork. B. Mental Development 1. Define sensorimotor learning and give one example of it. 2. Which of the following mental concepts does a child learn in art by the sense of touch? a. new words b. hard/soft c. true/false d. large/small e. smooth/rough f. names of colors g. feel of clay h. difference in shades of color i. feel of play dough j. sweet/sour 3. Choose the answer that best completes each of the following statements about how art helps mental development. a. Concepts are (a) phrases. (b) songs. (c) ideas.
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b. The mental concept of opposites learned in art is also used in (a) math. (b) finger plays. (c) cooking. c. Introducing new words in art activity (a) often confuses the children. (b) helps improve the child’s vocabulary. (c) has little effect on young children. d. An example of an activity that improves the sense of touch is (a) a piano lesson. (b) work on a collage. (c) a seeing game. e. Some concepts of color a child learns in art are (a) how to erase color errors, paint over, and choose colors. (b) how to choose colors, mix colors, and color over. (c) names of colors, how to mix colors, and how to make colors lighter or darker. f. An important new way of thinking that a child learns in art is (a) flexible thinking. (b) inflexible thinking. (c) permanent thinking. g. Seeing and learning that clay can have many shapes and textures helps the child develop (a) inflexible thought. (b) flexible thought. (c) permanent thinking. h. In artwork, very young children often use the senses of (a) touch and sight only. (b) smell, taste, touch, sight, and hearing. (c) touch and smell only. 4. Discuss development of a creative mental attitude as a goal in the art program for young children. 5. Discuss what other aspects of the school program should be like the art program. 6. Should art be considered a separate part of the preschool program? Explain your answer.
REFERENCES Gallaghue, D. L., & Ozmun, J. (1997). Understanding motor development: Infants, children, adolescents, adults (4th ed.). New York: McGraw Hill. Piaget, J. (1955). The child’s conception of reality. London: Routledge & Kegan Paul. Silverblatt, I. M. (1964). Creative activities. Cincinnati, OH: Author.
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ADDITIONAL READINGS Hast, F., & Hollyfield, A. (1999). Infant and toddler experiences. St. Paul, MN: Redleaf. Hubbard, R. S. (1998). Creating a classroom where children can think. Young Children, 53(5), 26–31. Litman, M., with Anderson, C., Andrican, L., Buria, B., Christy, C., Koski, B., & Renton, P. (1999). Curriculum comes from the child: A Head Start family child care program. Young Children, 54(3), 4–9. Miller, K. (1999). Simple Steps: Developmental activities for infants, toddlers, and two-year-olds. Beltsville, MD: Gryphon House. Penn, H. (1999). How should we care for babies and toddlers? An analysis of practice in out-of-home care for children under three. Toronto ON, Canada: Childcare Resource and Research Unit, Centre for Urban and Community Studies, University of Toronto. Pruett, K. D. (1999). Me, myself and I: How children build their sense of self, 18 to 36 months. New York: Goddard. Talay-Ongan, A. (1998). Typical and atypical development in early childhood. New York: Teacher’s College Press.
BOOKS FOR CHILDREN PRESCHOOL Artell, M. (1994). Legs. New York: Simon & Schuster. Baker, A. (1999). Gray Rabbit’s odd one out. Helena, MT: Kingfisher. Bourgeois, P. (1999). Franklin rides a bike. Topeka, KA: Econo Clad Books. Bridwell, N. (1999). Clifford grows up. New York: Scholastic. Carter, D. A. (1997). Says Who? New York: Simon & Schuster. Casey, M. (1996). Red lace, yellow lace. New York: Barron’s. Cousins, L. (1990). Maisy goes swimming. Boston: Little Brown. Falwell, C. (1992). Nicky and Alex. New York: Clarion. Gentieu, P. (2000). Baby! Talk! New York: Crown. Hill, E. (1994). Spot’s first walk. New York: Putnam. Hoban, T. (1996). Just look. New York: Greenwillow. Hoban, T. (1997). Exactly the opposite. New York: Greenwillow. Hoban, T. (1997). Is it larger, is it smaller? New York: Morrow. Hunt, J. L. (1997). Big and small: A through the window book of opposites. New York: Greenwillow. Jakob, D. (1995). Tiny toes. New York: Hyperion. Miller, M. (1994). Guess who? New York: Greenwillow. Miller, M. (1998). Who uses this? New York: Morrow.
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Obligado, Lilian V. (1999). Nose to toes. New York: Random House. Paul, A. W. (1998). Hello toes! Hello feet! New York: DK Publishing. Paul, A. W. (2000). Silly Sadie, silly Samuel. New York: Simon & Schuster. Pragoff, F. (1994). It’s fun to be one. New York: Alladin. Pragoff, F. (1994). It’s great to be two. New York: Alladin. Zoehfeld, K. (1999). Growing up stories: Winnie the Pooh series: My very first Winnie the Pooh books. New York: Disney Press.
KINDERGARTEN–GRADE 3 Atkins, J. (1998). Get set! Swim! New York: Lee & Low. Brown, L. K., & Brown, M. (1998). What’s the big secret? Boston: Little Brown. Brown, M. W. (1999). Another important book. New York: HarperCollins. Campbell, B. M. (2000). Sweet summer: Growing up with and without my Dad. Berkeley, CA: Berkeley Publishing Group. Cleary, B, (1997). The growing-up feet. New York: Morrow. Clement, R. (1998). Grandpa’s teeth. New York: HarperCollins. Cohen, E. (1999). The peddler’s grandson: Growing up Jewish in Mississippi. University, MS: University Press of Mississippi. Dominick, A. (2000). Needles: A memoir of growing up with diabetes. New York: Simon & Schuster. Frommer, M. K. (1999). Growing up Jewish in America: An oral history. Lincoln, NE: University of Nebraska Press. Holliday, L. (2000). Dreaming in color: Living in black & white: Our own stories of growing up Black. New York: Pocket Books. Hopkins, L. B. (1999). Sports! Sports! Sports!: A poetry collection. New York: HarperCollins. Horn, P. (1999). When I grow up. Miami, FL: North-South Books. Peterson, F. L. (2000). Journal of the third daughter: Growing up in Korea. Titusville, FL: Four Seasons Publishers. Rapf, M. (1999). Back lot: Growing up with the movies. Lanham, MD: Scarecrow Press. Rich, K. (1999). Johnny’s girl: A daughter’s memoir of growing up in Alaska’s underworld. Livonia, NY: Graphic Arts Publishing. Silva, N. (2000). When I grow up. Catskill, NY: Press-Tige Publishing Co. Spence, S. (2000). Children’s book about growing up. Chicago: EggShell Press.
Spires, E. (1999). Riddle road: Puzzles and pictures. New York: McElderry. Tobias, A. (1999). The best boy in the world grows up. New York: Ballantine.
GRADES 4–5 Asher, S. (Ed.). (1999). With all my heart, with all my mind: Thirteen stories about growing up Jewish. New York: Simon & Schuster. Bolden, T. (Ed.). (1994). Rites of passage: Stories about growing up by Black writers from around the world. New York: Hyperion. Carter, R. (1996). Me and the geezer: A true story about growing up in Little League style. Claremont, CA: Harbour Books. Clark, R. S. (1999). When I grow up: Street children of India: Columbus, GA: Positive Press International. Cook, D. C. (1999). In the beginning what: Good feelings about the way you’re made. Colorado Springs, CO: David C. Cook Publishing Co. Ehrlich, A. (Ed.). (1999). Original stories about growing up. (Vol. 2). New York: Candlewick. Girl’s Life Magazine (Ed.). (2000). The Girl’s Life guide to growing up. Hillsboro, OR: Beyond World Publishing. Goodrich, R. S., & Goodrich, M. S. (1996). A rock grows up: The Pacific Northwest up close & personal. Lake Oswego, OR: Geo Quest Publications. Graves, D. (1990). Baseball, snakes and summer squash: Poems about growing up. Honesdale, PA: Boyds Mills Press. Keegan, M. (1999). Pueblo girls: Growing up in two worlds. New York: Candlewick. Najar, Q. (1996). Burhaan Khan: Six tales about growing up. Flushing, NY: Amirah Publishing. Paul, A. W. (1999). All by herself: 14 girls who made a difference: Poems. New York: Harcourt. Porter, E. (1998). Pollyanna grows up. New York: Viking. Roessel, M. (1993). Kinaalda: A Navajo girl grows up. Minneapolis: Lerner. Watts, I. N. (1998). Good-bye Marianne: A story of growing up in Nazi-Germany. Plattsburgh, NY: Tundra Books of Northern New York. Wright, M. H. (1999). Sounds like home: Growing up Black and deaf in the South. Washington, DC: Gallaudet University Press.
For additional creative activity resources, visit our Web site at www.EarlyChildEd.delmar.com.
DEVELOPMENTAL LEVELS AND ART OBJECTIVES After studying this chapter, you should be able to 1. Describe the scribble stage, including appropriate materials for use in this stage. 2. Explain the basic forms stage, including appropriate materials for use in this stage. 3. Discuss the pictorial stage, including appropriate materials for use in this stage. 4. Discuss appropriate art activities and materials for toddlers, young preschoolers, and older preschoolers, kindergartners, and grades 1–5.
A
s children grow older, they change in height and weight and gain new skills. They also develop different abilities in art. The artwork of a threeyear-old is different from that of a four- or five-year-old. It is different in the way it looks, as well as in the way it is made. For many years people have been trying to explain why all children the world over, draw in the way they do. There are many theories of children’s art, each of which offers an explanation for why children produce art and suggests strategies for teachers.
DEVELOPMENTAL LEVELS/STAGES OF ART Just as young children experience various stages of physical development, they also develop art abilities in a gradual process, going through specific stages. These stages are called developmental levels. A develop-
mental level is a guide to what a child can do in art at different ages, but it is not a strict guideline. Some children may be ahead or behind the developmental level for their age. Developmental levels tell the teacher what came before and what is to come in the artwork of the young child. There is no exact pattern for each age level. Not all three-year-olds behave alike, nor are they completely different from four-year-olds. But there is a gradual growth process, called development, that almost every child goes through. An understanding of developmental levels helps an adult accept each child at the child’s present level, whatever it is. From 1830, when Ebenezer Cooke first drew attention to the successive stages of development found in children’s drawings, to Viktor Lowenfeld’s Creative and Mental Growth of the Child (1987) and Rhoda Kellogg’s Analyzing Children’s Art (1970), teachers have based their objectives for art activities on the idea that children’s art is developmental. Ability in art devel-
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ops as the child grows and matures. Each stage is a part of the natural and normal aspects of child growth and development. These stages are sequential, with each stage characterized by increasing progress. Even though stages in art have been identified and accepted, the age at which children progress through these stages is highly individual. As children’s bodies and minds mature, so does their art ability. Children learn to paint, model, and build as they learn to walk—slowly, developing in their own way. They learn each new step in the process as they are ready for it. As a general guide, art development progresses from experimentation and exploration (the scribble stage in drawing), to the devising of basic forms, to the forming of symbolic figures and their naming. Older children continue to develop and refine their abilities in art as they create more complex works of art and give greater attention to their expressive intentions. The following discussion of the development of children’s drawing is intended to serve as a general guide to the overall process development in art. The basic developmental levels, or stages, apply to all art media. For the sake of clarity, children’s drawing will be the primary focus of the discussion.
CHILDREN’S DRAWING There are three developmental levels in drawing that are of concern to the early childhood teacher: the scribble stage, the basic forms stage, and the pictorial (or first drawings) stage.
move the crayon or brush across the paper. Once the child begins the movement, it’s difficult to stop! As a consequence, whatever surface the child is working on often becomes covered with paint and crayon. Toddlers methodically examine their environments. Discovering something new, they feel it, shake it, squeeze it, taste it, and sniff it. This sensorimotor mode is very much a part of the behavior of two- and three-year old children. Knowing this, teachers will be alert to the importance of young children’s need to explore. Responding to this need, teachers provide art and play materials which offer children abundant sense-stimulating possibilities, such as finger paints, sand, colored soapsuds, textured fabric, and other such materials. EARLY SCRIBBLE STAGE: DISORDERED OR RANDOM SCRIBBLING During the early scribble stage, the young child does not have control over hand movements or the marks on a page. Thus this stage is called disordered or random scribbling. The marks are random and go in many directions. The direction of the marks depends on whether the child is drawing on the floor or on a low table. The way the crayon is held also affects how the scribbles look. But the child is not able to make the crayon go in any one way on purpose. There is neither the desire nor the ability to control the marks. (See Figure 10–2 for some examples of random scribbles.) Because it is the sensory experience of making marks that’s important at this stage, the child doesn’t even realize that she is producing these scribbles. The
THE SCRIBBLE STAGE Most children begin scribbling at about one and onehalf to two years of age. They will scribble with anything at hand and on anything nearby. Their first marks are usually an aimless group of lines. Yet these first scribbles are related to later drawing and painting. They are related to art just as a baby’s first babbling sounds are related to speech. The crayon may be held upside down, or sideways, or even with the fist, or between clenched fingers. Children may be pleased with this scribbling and get real enjoyment from it. However, they do not try to make any definite pictures with these marks. They simply enjoy the physical motions involved in scribbling. It is the act of doing—not the final product—that is important to the child. If you watch a baby draw or a toddler scribbling, you know it is a sensorimotor activity. As a child draws or paints, every part of the body moves, all working to
FIGURE 10–1
Small muscles in the hands are exercised in scribbling as well as finger painting.
CHAPTER 10 Developmental Levels and Art
connection between herself and the scribbles isn’t made by the early scribbler. In fact, these children receive as much satisfaction from just handling the materials—dumping the crayons out of the box, putting them back in again, rolling them across the table or in their hands—as they do from scribbling! Art is such a sensory experience at this age that children may use crayons in both hands as they draw, singing along in rhythm to the movements they are making. They may not even notice the crayon they’re working with isn’t leaving marks on the paper. Because it is the process that is important to children when they’re toddlers, there’s no need to label their
FIGURE 10–2
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scribbles with their names or ask for stories or titles to accompany the scribbles. For young children in the early scribble stage, it is appropriate for adults to comment on the process. Focusing on the process, you might say, “You covered the entire paper,” “Your whole arm moved as you worked,” or “You moved your crayon all around and around.” Gearing comments to the developmental level of the child and being specific are recommended approaches (Seefeldt, 1995). Be sure to save samples of scribbles from time to time, using portfolios to keep a visual record of the child’s progress. (Portfolios are discussed in detail later in this chapter.)
Examples of development in children’s drawing (from Feeney et al., 1995).
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LATER SCRIBBLE STAGE: CONTROLLED SCRIBBLING At some point, children find a connection between their motions and the marks on the page. This may be about six months after the child has started to scribble, but the time will vary with each child. This very important step is called controlled scribbling. The child has now found it possible to control the marks. Many times, an adult cannot see any real difference in these drawings. They still look like scribbles—but they are different in a very important way. The child’s gradual gaining of control over scribbling motion is a vital experience for the child. She now is able to make the marks go in the direction desired. Most children scribble at this later stage with a great deal of enthusiasm, since coordination between seeing and doing is an important achievement. Because children enjoy this newfound power, they are encouraged to try new motions. They now may scribble in lines, zigzags, or circles. When they repeat motions, it means they are gaining control over certain movements. They can become very involved in this type of scribbling. THE SCRIBBLE STAGE AND TWODIMENSIONAL MEDIA The term two-dimensional media refers to any art form that is flat. Art in two dimensions has only two sides, front and back. Examples of two-dimensional art processes are painting, drawing, printing, and scribbling. Children just beginning to scribble need tools that are safe and easy to hold and use. For a child between the ages of one and one-half and three years, large, nontoxic crayons are good tools for two-dimensional artwork. Pencils are dangerous for the young child and are also too difficult to hold and use. A good-quality, kindergarten-type crayon is the best tool. The crayon should be large and unwrapped so it can be used on both the sides and ends. Good-quality crayons are strong enough to hold up to rough first scribbles. They also make bright, clear colors, which are pleasant for the child to use. Since motion is the chief enjoyment in this stage, the child needs large blank paper (at least 18” x 24”). This size allows enough room for wide arm movements and large scribbles in many directions. The paper should always be large enough to give the child a big open space for undirected, random scribbles. Paper can be in a variety of shapes, such as triangular, circular, oval, etc. If possible, a child in the scribble stage should use large white paper. Crayon scribbles show up better on white paper, so the child can see more easily the results
FIGURE 10–3
Controlled scribbling may not appear much different than random scribbling.
of the scribbling. The classified section of the newspaper is also appropriate paper for beginning artists. The small print of the advertisements makes a neutral, nonintrusive background for scribbling, and this section of the paper provides a generous supply of material for young scribblers, which encourages the frequency of their scribbling. The child needs only a few crayons at a time. Because motor control is the main focus in the early period of the scribbling stage, too many different crayons may distract the child in the scribbling process. A box of 32 crayons, for example, would become an object of exploration itself and hence a distraction from the act of scribbling. This type of interruption breaks up arm movement as well as total physical involvement.
FIGURE 10–4
The ability of children to repeat certain motions in drawings means they are beginning to develop better muscle control.
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New crayons may be added when a new drawing is started. The tools should mark clearly and flow easily. Painting is another good two-dimensional art activity for children in the scribble stage because it offers children the most fluidity. Paintbrushes for two- and three-year-olds need to have 12-inch handles and 43 -inch to 1-inch bristles. Paint for two- and three-year-old children should be mixed with a dry soap so it is thick enough to control. The paper for painting may need to be heavier than newsprint because children will repeatedly paint the paper until it disintegrates. Toddlers and two- and three-year-olds all enjoy experimenting with paint at the easel and table. Pasting, tearing paper, and soap and finger painting are also two-dimensional art activities enjoyed by most children of this age. A good deal of monitoring is required with toddlers because they are tempted to taste the materials and carry them about the room. For toddlers the major value lies in simple experimentation with the colors and textures.
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observation sheet (Figure 10–5) may be used to record your observations.
Age. Note the age of the child. Keep in mind the average range for the scribble stage (one and one-half to three years). See how the child fits in the range. There may be an overlap between stages.
Motor control. Note how the child holds the crayon: with two fingers, clenched fingers, or a fist. If the child uses a two-finger grip, this is the start of good motor control. The other methods of holding the crayon show less motor control. See if the child can hold the crayon without dropping it during the entire drawing. This also shows good motor control. Note any other things that might show the child’s degree of motor control.
Arm movements. OBSERVATION OF THE SCRIBBLE STAGE The student observer of young children (ages one and one-half to three years) should keep in mind the following points in observing scribbling. A copy of the
CHILD
AGE
MOTOR CONTROL
ARM TYPES OF MOVEMENTS SCRIBBLES
COMMENTS:
FIGURE 10–5
In scribbling, a child may use one type of arm movement or a variety. Note if movements are wide, long, short, jabbing, or of other kinds. The type of arm movement used affects the basic forms the child will make in the future. For example, if circular scribbles are being made, later these scribbles become circles.
Scribble stage observation form.
USE OF PAPER
EARLY PERIOD
LATER PERIOD
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FIGURE 10–7 FIGURE 10–6
A two-finger grip on the crayon is a sign of emerging motor control.
Types of scribbles. Note the kind of scribbles the child is making. They may be controlled or uncontrolled, circular, lines, or others mentioned earlier.
Use of paper. There are many ways of using paper for scribbling. Some are moving across the paper from left to right, moving across the paper from right to left, scribbling on only one part of the page, and moving the paper to make marks in the other direction. See if the child seems to know how to use the paper. Older scribblers often have more control over the paper. Try these activities, observing and noting what happens: ■ Provide the child with some soft, colored chalk. See if this new tool causes any differences in the way the child scribbles. (See Chapter 9 for more suggestions on various uses for chalk.) ■ Change to smaller paper. See if there are any differences in the child’s arm movement, type of scribbles made, and use of paper. ■ Place two extra colored crayons in the child’s view. See if the child uses them. Then see if scribbles look different when the child uses many colors. Compare an all-one-color drawing with a manycolor drawing.
THE BASIC FORMS STAGE Basic forms like rectangles, squares, and circles develop from scribbles as the child finds and recognizes simple shapes in the scribbles. More importantly, they develop as the child finds the muscle control and
A child in the three- to four-year-old range is generally in the basic forms stage.
hand–eye coordination (use of hand(s) and eyes at the same time) to repeat the shape. At this stage, the drawings look more organized. This is because the child is able to make basic forms by controlling the lines. A child in the age range of three to four years is usually in the basic forms stage. During this stage children hold their tools more like adults and have a growing control over the materials. Children can now control their scribbles, making loops, circular shapes, and lines that are distinguishable and can be repeated at will. Children at this age value their scribbles. By age three or four, children will not draw if their marker is dry. Children now ask to have their names put on their work so it can be taken home or displayed in the room. It is important to note, again, that there may be an overlap between developmental levels in art. For example, one three-year-old child may be drawing basic forms and an occasional scribble. Another three-yearold may still be totally in the scribble stage. Developmental levels are meant merely as guidelines, not as set limits on age and ability levels.
EARLY BASIC FORMS STAGE: CIRCLE AND OVAL Generally, the first basic form drawn is the oval or circle. This marks the early basic forms stage. It develops as children recognize the simple circle in their scribbles and are able to repeat it. Both the oval and the circle develop from circular scribbles. Another early basic form in this stage is the curved line or arc. This is made with the same swinging movement of an arm used in the early scribble stage. Now, however, it is in one direction only. This kind of line gradually becomes less curved, and from it come the
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FIGURE 10–8
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Children in the basic forms stage enjoy repeating the forms over and over again in their work.
horizontal and vertical lines. Making an intentional arcshaped line reflects more developed motor control. LATER BASIC FORMS: RECTANGLE AND SQUARE As muscle control of three- to four-year-olds continues to improve, more basic forms are made in their drawings. The rectangle and square forms are made when the child can purposefully draw separate lines of any length desired. The child joins the separate lines to form the rectangle or square. This indicates the later basic forms stage. The circle, oval, square, and rectangle are all basic forms made by the child’s control of lines. THE BASIC FORMS STAGE AND TWO-DIMENSIONAL MEDIA Children in the basic forms stage have enough motor control and hand–eye coordination to use different tools. In addition to crayons, the child may now begin to work with tempera paint. Tempera paint is the best kind for children because it flows easily from the brush onto the page. Large lead pencils are good for children in the later period of this stage; there is less danger of injury with these older children. A variety of papers can be supplied, from newsprint to construction paper. These children should be allowed plenty of time with the basic tools of drawing, painting, modeling, cutting, and pasting and should not be rushed into other media. The basic developmental goal for this age is the control of the media and tasks of drawing, painting, or modeling. (A complete list of proper materials is included in Chapter 11 on selecting materials.)
FIGURE 10–9
Basic forms drawings might look simple, but they represent a great motor achievement for the child.
Felt-tip pens or colored markers are an excellent tool for this stage. They provide clear, quick, easily made, and nice-looking marks. In the basic forms stage, when the child really enjoys seeing the marks come out as desired, these pens are best. They require little pressure to make bold marks. Felt-tip pens should be nontoxic and water-soluble so that most spots can be washed out of the child’s clothes. (See “Think About It . . . Marker Maintenance” for suggestions on prolonging the life of colored markers.) The largest paper size is not as necessary in this stage as in the scribble stage. Because the child now has better motor control, it is easier to keep marks on a smaller space. Room for wide, uncontrolled movements is not as necessary. Make available paper of many sizes and shapes. Figure 10–10 lists some other suggestions for basic art supplies. Also make available different colors and textures of paper and a variety of colored pencils and markers. Children in this stage like to make basic forms in many colors and ways as an exercise of their skill. Student observers should realize that children of this age like to repeat forms and should not try to force them to “make something else” to fill up the paper. It is important that children practice making their own basic forms. The forms may look simple, but each drawing is a great motor achievement for them. The children may rightly be quite proud of their basic form drawings.
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Easel Different kinds, sizes, shapes, textures, and colors of paper (foil, sandpaper, newspaper, freezer paper) Finger paints, watercolors Tempera paint (liquid, dry powder) Colored chalk, pastels, charcoal, pencils Crayons, marking pens, colored pencils, oil crayons (craypas) Materials for weaving, stitchery Box of materials for collages Tissue paper Glue, paste, starch, rubber cement, tape Bags, socks, papier-mâché for making puppets Art prints and art objects Magazines and catalogs Box of paper scraps and fabric scraps Wallpaper samples Cleanup equipment (buckets, sponges, mops) Drying rack/line Aprons or substitutes Newspaper for cleanup Various containers: cans, cartons, etc. Clay: natural, play dough, modeling India ink (printing ink, stamp pad) Yarn Paper clips, beads, stapler, staples “Beautiful junk”: spools, toothpicks, aluminum foil, wood curls/chips, leather scraps, miscellaneous small boxes, egg cartons, shingles, paper plates, doilies, styrofoam packing bits, coat hangers, wire, shells/string/ribbons, wood scraps, used colorful/patterned envelopes, metal scraps, shopping bags, leftover/used wrapping paper, feathers Straw Small pieces of sponge Small sticks or twigs Scissors String Spray bottles Stickers Sacking materials Rolling pin FIGURE 10–10
Basic materials for art activities.
OBSERVATION OF THE BASIC FORMS STAGE The student observer of young children in the basic forms stage should keep in mind the following points when observing children. The points may then be recorded on a copy of the observation form, Figure
FIGURE 10–11
When young children work with new forms or practice new skills, allow enough space and time for their total involvement.
10–12. If students are observing children in both the scribbling and basic forms stages, observations of each stage may be compared to help highlight the differences in these two stages.
Age. Note the age of the child. Check Figure 10–25, on page 152, for the average age range for the basic forms stage. See how the child fits in the range. See if there is an overlap between stages.
Motor control. See how the child holds the crayon. Note if it is held very tightly or if the child can draw with sureness and ease. Also note if the child draws with a lot of arm movement or uses just the hand to draw. The child who uses more hand movement and less arm movement is showing good motor control. In the basic forms stage, children use fewer unnecessary arm movements.
Types of basic forms. Write down the number and type of basic forms mentioned earlier which the child can draw. See if the shapes are well drawn or rough and unclear. Rough, less clear forms are made in the early stage. A child in the later basic forms stage draws clear, easy-to-recognize shapes. In drawings with a variety of forms, see if one form is clearer than another. Clearer forms are the ones that the child first began to draw. The less clear forms are in the practice stage and eventually become clearer.
Use of paper. Use the same checkpoints for the use of paper that were used in the scribble stage section. In addition, see if the child fills the page with one or many
CHAPTER 10 Developmental Levels and Art
CHILD
AGE
MOTOR CONTROL
ARM MOVEMENTS
TYPES OF BASIC FORMS
USE OF PAPER
EARLY PERIOD
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LATER PERIOD
COMMENTS:
FIGURE 10–12
Basic forms stage observation form
Marker Maintenance
Markers are wonderful for young artists. But busy artists frequently lose caps from these markers, often resulting in dried-out markers. Replacing dried-out markers can be expensive, so here are a few hints on “marker maintenance” to help preserve markers as long as possible. ■ Solve the lost cap/dry-out problem by setting the caps with open ends up in a margarine or whipped topping container filled with plaster of Paris. Make sure the plaster does not cover the holes in the caps. When the plaster dries, the markers can be put into the caps and will stand upright until ready for use again. ■ Give new life to old, dry felt markers by storing them tips down with the caps on. When the markers become dried out, remove the caps and put in a few drops of water. This usually helps “revive” them. ■ Recycle dried-out markers by having children dip them in paint and use them for drawing. ■ Make your own pastel markers by adding dry tempera paint (or food color) to bottles of white shoe polish that come with sponge applicator tops. ■ Use empty plastic shoe polish bottles or roll-on deodorant bottles to make your own markers. Wash the tops and bottles thoroughly and fill them with watery tempera paint (Warren, 1987).
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FIGURE 10–13
Good motor control is shown by the child who uses more hand than arm movement.
basic forms. If the same shape is made over and over, it means the child is practicing a new basic form. Practice like this occurs at an early point in the stage.
THE PICTORIAL STAGE With the two earlier stages complete, the children now have the ability to draw the variety of marks that make up their first pictures; this occurs at the next developmental level in art—the pictorial stage. Many four-yearolds and most five-year-olds are at this level. Pictures or first drawings are different from scribbling in that they are not made for pure motor enjoyment. Instead, they are made by the child for a purpose. The basic forms perfected in the preceding stage suggest images to the child that stand for ideas in the child’s own mind. A new way of drawing begins. From the basic forms the child is able to draw, only particular ones are chosen. Miscellaneous scribbling is left out. In this way, children draw their first symbols. A symbol is a visual representation of something important to the child; it may be a human figure, animal, tree, or similar figure. Art in which symbols are used in such a way is called representational art. This means there has been a change from kinesthetic, or sheer physical, activity to representational attempts. The child realizes that there is a relationship between the objects drawn and the outside world and that drawing and painting can be used to record ideas or express feelings.
FIGURE 10–14
Notice how the child puts basic forms together in a drawing.
The ability to draw symbols in representational art comes directly from the basic forms stage. The basic forms gradually lose more and more of their connection to body motion only. They are now put together to make symbols, which stand for real objects in the child’s mind. In scribbling, the child was mainly involved in a physical activity, trying out the materials to see what she could do with them. Now the child is expressing in the scribble something of importance to her. It may seem to be a scribble, but it is now a “man” or a “dog”—a definite symbol representing something in the child’s life. The human form is often the child’s first symbol. A man is usually drawn with a circle for a head and two lines for legs or body. Other common symbols include trees, houses, flowers, and animals. The child can tell you what each symbol stands for in the drawing. Further attempts to make symbols grow directly from the basic forms the child can make. Flowers and trees are combinations of spiral scribbles or circles with attached straight lines for stems or trunks. Houses, windows, doors, flags, and similar objects are simply made up of rectangles and straight lines. It is a common adult practice to label these first drawings “children’s art” because they contain recognizable objects. If children’s drawings appear to be mere scribbles to an adult, they are not considered “children’s art” because they don’t look like “something.” Yet being able to identify objects in a child’s work does not make it “children’s art.” Art is selfexpression and has value in any form and at any stage.
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Portfolios for Developmental Assessment
Artists generally keep a portfolio, or a representative collection of their work. The artist’s portfolio usually has samples chosen from various periods, showing how the artist’s talent has developed over time. Samples chosen from different media are also included in the portfolio to reflect the artist’s versatility and range of talent. For example, you may find works done in pastels, chalk, fine line drawings, and watercolors in the portfolio. In the early childhood art program, many teachers find the use of portfolios (or individual art files, as it is more generally called) for young children—most often children four years and older—quite helpful. There are many advantages to this practice for the young child, teacher, and parents. The most obvious advantage of a portfolio/file is the fact that it is visible evidence of the child’s development in art. From the earliest selections in the portfolio to the most recent, one can see the child’s progress in art. A portfolio/file can greatly aid the teacher during parent-teacher conferences, by showing examples of how the child is developing in this area. It reduces the subjectivity of discussions by helping both teacher and parent focus objectively on the portfolio. Another excellent advantage of the portfolio is that it encourages growth of the child’s aesthetic sense of choice. By involving the child in selection of pieces for the portfolio, the child learns about the process of selection. Of course, learning to be selective is a very complex skill and will take time for the child to develop. But like any other skill, given the time, opportunity, and guidance to make selections of one’s own work for the portfolio (or file), the child will develop his or her own personal preferences. Be sure to date and label and write a short comment on each piece added to the portfolio. The label would describe the media/materials used, and a comment would be on some significant aspect of the piece. For example, “First time Jorge named an object in a drawing. This one he called ‘Daddy.’” For all of these reasons, then, using a portfolio in the early childhood art program has definite merits. Alongside these merits are some pitfalls one needs to keep in mind. Most importantly, if you plan to use portfolios for developmental assessment, stick to it for the whole year. There is nothing particularly advantageous to having a half-done portfolio. Beginning a portfolio with good intentions and then only sporadically filling it with work reduces its importance as the year goes on—this type of portfolio is best left out of the program entirely. To be of use in developmental assessment, the portfolio needs to be as complete as possible, reflecting the process of artistic development as a whole. Many teachers find it helpful to include in their monthly planning a week set aside for portfolio selection. This way, they are sure to have it on their list of priorities. Of course, there should always be time for spontaneous inclusions whenever they occur. Also keep in mind to include the child in portfolio development, even if it “takes longer that way.” Don’t forget that the development of personal preference is on a par with developmental assessment as a reason for using portfolios. Finally, in the spirit of “celebrating” one’s artwork, be sure to have an attractive place to keep each child’s work. Many teachers use donated (unused) pizza boxes, some use file folders, and others use pocket folders. Find the one best method that works best for your own organizational style. Of course, the child should be involved in decorating the file, box, or whatever other form is used to “house” the collection. Precious art deserves special treatment.
Because art is now representational, children need tools that can be easily controlled and thus facilitate their ability to produce the desired symbols. Thinner crayons and paintbrushes and less fluid paints can now be made available so children can express their ideas and feelings with greater realism. Children over age five
will want to be able to select representational colors, so a variety of colors of paint, crayons, and markers are necessary. Naming and owning the art produced are also important to children in this stage. These children may ask you to record the names of their paintings or draw-
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FIGURE 10–15
Using the whole hand instead of just the fingers indicates less developed small motor skills.
ings as well as write stories to go with their drawings. These children recognize other children’s work at this point. They will want to take their work home, as well as contribute some to display in the classroom. This is an excellent stage to begin keeping a portfolio of the child’s work, if you haven’t started yet. Samples of the child’s early, initial representational artwork will be a record of the development of the child’s first symbols. As representational development proceeds, this may be forgotten, without the portfolio sample. For example, when Claire first made a scribble that she called “doggy” her teacher noted it down on the sample and kept it in Claire’s folder. Over the year a collection of these various samples gave quite a graphic story of Claire’s progress in art. Keeping portfolios does not mean, however, collecting and keeping all of the child’s work. Items in a child’s portfolio should reflect how the child is progressing in art. Each piece in the portfolio needs to be selected with this question in mind: “What does this piece tell me about this learner?” For example, selected samples of scribbles from the early and later scribble stages tell a great deal visually how a child is progressing. In contrast, keeping all of the child’s scribble work samples in the file would make it difficult to clearly see the child’s development. EARLY PICTORIAL (FIRST DRAWINGS) STAGE In the early pictorial (first drawings) stage, a child works on making and perfecting one or many symbols.
FIGURE 10–16
Small motor development may be observed in other activities, such as bead stringing.
The child practices these symbols, covering sheets of paper with many examples of the same subject. For example, a child may draw windows and doors over and over in each drawing. Also at an early point in this stage, a child’s picture may be a collection of unrelated figures and objects. This type of picture is a sampling of the child’s many tries at making different symbols. At this point, pictures are done very quickly. During this early pictorial stage, the child is searching for new ideas. Symbols change constantly. A picture of a man drawn one day differs from the one drawn the day before. In this stage, there is often a great variety of forms representing the same object. Early first drawings are very flexible in appearance. LATER PICTORIAL (FIRST DRAWINGS) STAGE: USE OF SCHEMA In the later pictorial (first drawings) stage, through practice, a child draws symbols easily and more exactly. Many four-year-olds and most five-year-olds perfect to their own liking and take pride in producing a series of many symbols. A child at this point often likes to see these symbols set clearly and neatly on the page. They are now drawn one at a time with few or no other marks on the page. They are clear and well drawn. If children can draw the letters of their name on the page as well, they may feel this is all that belongs in the picture.
CHAPTER 10 Developmental Levels and Art
FIGURE 10–17
Playing with puzzles is an excellent small motor activity.
For a while, children are content to make these finished yet isolated examples of their drawing skill, but it is not long before more complex drawings are made. Children four to five years of age are able to use their symbols in drawings to tell a story or describe an event. The naming of these symbols is an important step in that the artwork becomes a clear form of visual communication. It may not look any different, but the child now calls the circle a “sun” as it represents a specific object to the child. By five and one-half to six years of age, children generally are ready to make a picture of many things in their experience or imagination. Their drawings are made up of combinations of symbols they are familiar with and that have meaning to them. Children create new symbols as they have new experiences and ideas. However, children at this point can’t be expected to make pictures of the unfamiliar or of things they have not personally experienced. Another common error by well-meaning teachers is a misunderstanding of this stage by expecting all children five years old and older to be able to use symbols in their art. This is not a valid expectation since the age at which children begin to use symbols is as highly individual as the age at which they learn to walk. Children use symbols when they are ready—and no sooner. Creative expression is the goal at this and all ages; a child’s art does not have to include specific symbols, like a house, tree, or animals, unless the child chooses to include them. Children need to repeat art processes over a period of time in order to become competent with and feel secure about using materials to express ideas and feelings. Four- and five-year-old children who have had many opportunities to paint will frequently move easi-
FIGURE 10–18
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Active children in the housekeeping center are using small muscles and are developing small motor control.
ly from manipulative scribbling to expressive symbolic or representational art. In the later pictorial stage, each child has a special way of drawing the human form, houses, and other symbols. This individual way of drawing is called a schema. A schema, or individual pattern, often can be seen in drawings by the age of six. A schema comes after much practice with drawing symbols. Once the child has a schema, symbols become special marks. A schema is special for each child just as a signature is
FIGURE 10–19
Hanging up a picture shows the child’s pride in his work.
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FIGURE 10–21
FIGURE 10–20
Small blocks provide children many opportunities to develop small motor control.
unique for each adult. One child may tell another, “That’s Chad’s drawing, I recognize his trees,” or “I know it’s Zarina’s painting because she paints her skies that way.” These children have developed a schema that is clearly their own, easily recognizable by others.
Importance of schema.
The schema drawn by a child represents something important to the child, something that is part of the child’s environment and experience. Things of emotional importance to the child are included in the picture. Children draw schema in a picture not according to actual size, but in a size that shows the emotional importance of the object to them. For example, people and things important to a child might be drawn large and with many details. If a tree is drawn, the limbs may be made larger because the tree is used for climbing. If it is an apple tree, the apples may be drawn very large. Children express other responses to their environment in their drawings. A painting showing a child walking on wet grass may show the feet and toes large in size. This may show how the child felt after a walk in the early morning.
Putting puzzles together with friends is an exercise in small motor skills as well as a chance to share with others.
the beginning of a new form of communication— communication with the environment through art. Soon a five-year-old may think: “My daddy is a big man; he has a head and two big legs. She then draws a head and two big legs and names her drawing, “Daddy”. Through drawing, the child is making a clear relationship between father and the drawing. The symbol of a man now becomes “Daddy.” Of course, a child will not verbally name all objects every time a picture is made. In their use of schemas, children express their own personalities. They express not only what is important to them during the process of creating, but also how aware they have become in thinking, feeling, and seeing. From early drawings to the most complex, they give expression to their life experiences.
IMPORTANCE OF FIRST DRAWINGS At about the same time children develop their own schemas, they begin to name their drawings. Naming a drawing is really an important step for children. It is a sign that their thinking has changed; they are connecting their drawings with the world around them. This is
FIGURE 10–22
Older children enjoy further developing fine motor skills in drawings.
CHAPTER 10 Developmental Levels and Art
OBSERVATION OF THE PICTORIAL (FIRST DRAWINGS) STAGE
Age. Write down the age of the child. Check to see what the average age range is for the pictorial stage. See how the child fits in this range. There may be an overlap between stages. For example, the student may see figures as well as simple basic forms in one drawing.
The student should keep in mind the following points when observing children in the pictorial stage. You may want to use a copy of the observation form (Figure 10–23) to record your observations. (See also, Figures 10–24 and 10–25).
CHILD
AGE
COMBINATION SIZE NUMBER OF BASIC OF OF FORMS FIGURES FIGURES
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DETAILS
USE OF FIGURES
NAMING DRAWINGS
EARLY PERIOD
LATER PERIOD
COMMENTS:
FIGURE 10–23
Pictorial (first drawings) stage observation form
AGE
DEVELOPMENTAL CHARACTERISTICS
CHARACTERISTICS AS AN ARTIST
Birth to two years (infants and toddlers)
Work in creative expression is sensory and exploratory in nature.
Reacts to sensory experience. Explores media through all senses. Draws for the first time from 12–20 months. Begins to follow a universal developmental sequence in scribbling (see Figure 10–2.)
Two to four years (young preschoolers)
Work in creative expression is manipulative and oriented toward discovery and skill development.
Explores and manipulates materials. Experiences art as exploratory play. Often repeats action. Begins to name and control symbols. Views final product as unimportant (may not be pleasing to adults). May destroy product during process. Sees shapes in work.
Four to six years (older preschoolers and kindergartners)
Work in creative expression becomes more complex and representational.
Creates symbols to represent feelings and ideas. Represents what is known, not what is seen. Gradually begins to create more detailed and realistic work. Creates definite forms and shapes. Often preplans and then works with care. Rarely destroys work during process.
FIGURE 10–24
The development of art in young children (Courtesy Feeney et al., 1995)
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STAGE
AGE RANGE
MOTOR CONTROL
PURPOSE OF ARTWORK
CHARACTERISTICS OF STAGE
Scribble Random/ disordered scribbling
One and onehalf to three years (toddlers)
Lacks good motor control and hand–eye coordination.
Scribbles for pure physical sensation of movement.
1. Lacks direction or purpose for marks. 2. Does not mentally connect own movement to marks on page.
Controlled scribbling
Young preschoolers
Improving motor control and hand–eye coordination.
Scribbles with control.
1. Explores and manipulates materials. 2. Tries to discover what can be done—explores color, texture, tools, and techniques. 3. Often repeats action. 4. Makes marks with intention and not by chance.
Basic Forms
Three to four years
Has more developed motor control and hand–eye coordination. Has control over direction and size of line.
Enjoys mastery over line.
1. Masters basic forms: circle, oval, lines, rectangle, and square. 2. Discovers connection between own movements and marks on page.
Pictorial (First Drawings)
Four to five years and up
Has most advanced motor control and hand–eye coordination.
Communicates with outside world through drawing.
1. Combines basic forms to create first symbols. 2. Names drawings as a form of true communication.
Expresses personality and relationship to symbols drawn. FIGURE 10–25
Developmental levels in children’s art.
Combination of basic forms. See how the child
Number of figures. Mark down the number of fig-
puts basic forms together to make figures. Very simple combinations mean the child is at an early point in the stage. An example would be a flower made up of a single circle and one-line stem. On the other hand, a flower of many circles with oval petals and a stem of many leaves is a more complex combination of basic forms and would show that the child is at a later point in the stage.
ures in each drawing. A drawing with few figures or a single figure means that the child is at an early point in the stage. The child making this type of drawing is working on developing a symbol. At a later point, the child can draw many types of symbols and figures in one drawing. Also, drawings at a later point look as if they tell a story with the figures.
Size of figures. A child in both the early and later
Details. Note the type and number of details a child
periods of this stage may use size to show importance. The large figure represents something important to the child. Note, for example, children may draw themselves or other figures such as their mother in a very large size. Extra-large heads on a small body are found mainly in the early period of this stage. Notice the relative size of certain things in the picture. For a child who likes animals, a dog may be far larger than the human form. Here, too, size indicates that the object is important to the child.
uses in a drawing. They indicate at what point the child is in the stage. Figures with only a few details are made in the early pictorial stage. For example, a circular head, round body, and stick arms and legs make up an early human form. A picture of a man with details such as full arms, hands, and fingers is a sign that the child is at a later point in the pictorial stage. See if certain objects are drawn in greater detail than others. A child’s experience with certain objects can
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Stages of Art Development— Grades 1–5
With elementary students, one of the major goals of art experiences is to cultivate students’ abilities to create original and expressive art. At this level, children are usually able to produce pictorial drawings at will. Art experiences for children in grades 1–5 need to focus on prior creative experiences and build on these. In order to set appropriate expectations and guide artistic growth, you should be familiar with the typical stages of development in creating artwork for this level of students. The stages of artistic growth outlined below focus on skills portraying space, proportions and movement or action. Each stage is typical of many children at a particular grade level; however, it is not unusual to find a range of developmental levels within a class or within the work of single students during a year. Similar variations can be expected in students’ ability to respond thoughtfully to artwork. At each stage of development, some students will have greater interest and skill in responding to art than in creating art (or the reverse). Stage 1 (usually Grades K–2). Children begin to create visual symbols to represent figures such as people, houses, and trees. The figures often seem to “float” in space. Proportions are related to the importance of a feature in the child’s experience. Movement is often suggested by scribble-like lines. Three-dimensional artwork reflects the level of prior instruction and practice in using media and the physical coordination students have developed. Stage 2 (usually Grades 1–3). In picture-making, lines or borders are often used to represent the ground below and sky above. Figures may be placed along a line or at the lower edge of the paper. Proportions are shown through relative size—a house is larger than a person. Action is implied by the general position of lines and shapes, rather than subtle shifts in direction. Students who receive instruction will show general improvement in using three-dimensional media and applying design concepts as they work. Stage 3 (usually Grades 3–6). Students try out new ways to portray space in the pictures they draw and paint. These explorations often reflect remembered functional or logical relationships more than visual recall or observation. General proportions improve, as well as the use of diagonals to suggest action. Many students develop a strong affinity for three-dimensional work and are willing to try out new media and techniques that require several steps. Stage 4 (usually Grades 4–6). In picture-making, students search for ways to portray recalled or observed space. Some students begin to use perspective to imply near and distant objects. Movement is suggested through more subtle angles and curves. Individual styles and preferences for two- or three-dimensional work become more evident, along with increased skill in applying design concepts to create expressive work.
cause this increase in detail. As an example, tree limbs may be unusually large in the drawings of children who love to climb trees. Special sense experiences can also cause increase in detail. For example, a child may draw large raindrops in a drawing after a walk in the rain.
Use of figures.
Note how the child uses figures. See if the paper is filled with many unrelated figures that just fill space and look like practice forms. If there is no real connection between figures, it can mean the child is at an early point in the stage; the child is practicing a symbol and is not yet ready to tell a story with it.
If there seems to be a connection between figures, the child is at a later point. This type of drawing is a narrative drawing, one that tells a story. It is a visual form of communication for the child.
Naming drawings.
Be sure to listen to the child who wants to talk about a drawing. Note if the child names certain things, figures, or the whole thing, but never force the child to tell you “what it is.” Naming must come only through the child’s own idea. It is an important step in the child’s ability to communicate. It is only worthwhile if the child sees the meaning in the work and wants to name it.
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SUMMARY As children grow older and change in height and weight, they also develop different abilities in art. There are three developmental levels in art that are of concern to the preschool teacher: the scribble, basic forms, and pictorial stages. Teachers of children in middle and upper levels of elementary school need to build and expand on the pictorial skill that children have achieved at each level. The scribble stage ranges from about one and onehalf to three years of age. It covers the time from the child’s first marks to more controlled scribbles. The child enjoys the pure motion involved in scribbling. Wide, good-quality crayons are the best tools for the scribble stage. Large paper should be given to the child to allow room for wide arm movements. Age, motor control, use of paper, and type of scribbles should be noted in scribble stage observations. The basic forms stage covers approximately ages three to four years. The child develops more muscle control and hand–eye coordination through scribbling. Basic forms come when children can see simple forms in their scribbles and are able to repeat them. The oval or circle is usually the first basic form, followed by the rectangle or square. Children now enjoy seeing forms emerge out of their own will. A wider variety of art materials can be used with children in the basic forms stage. Age, motor control, use of paper, and basic forms used should be noted in observations of the basic forms stage. The pictorial stage generally occurs from ages four to six. Basic forms made in the prior stage are put together to make up symbols. The human form, birds, flowers, and animals are examples of some symbols. Naming drawings is an important part of first drawings. Children can now communicate outside themselves and with their world. A child’s artwork is very individual and expresses the child’s own personality. In the pictorial stage, children make the most varied and complex drawings. Points to note in observing this stage are the age of the child and figures and details in the drawings. These basic stages of art development parallel the overall development of children at particular periods. In planning the early childhood art program, the teacher must choose appropriate activities for the ability and interest levels of the age group of children in the program. Each age group has its own special considerations that must be included in a teacher’s planning.
KEY TERMS basic forms stage controlled scribbling developmental levels disordered or random scribbling early basic forms stage early pictorial (first drawings) stage later basic forms stage later pictorial (first drawings) stage pictorial stage portfolio representaional art schema scribble stage symbol two-dimensional media
LEARNING ACTIVITIES SELECTING APPROPRIATE MATERIALS FOR ART EXPERIENCES A. Examine the tools that are available for the children to work with in a preschool classroom—paintbrushes, scissors, crayons, to mention a few. Inventory these in terms of how many are available, the condition of the various tools, and their suitability in terms of design and quality for young children. B. Using toy and equipment catalogs that can be cut up, compile a catalog with classmates that pictures appropriate materials in terms of the many areas covered in this chapter. Select and annotate each entry in each category in terms of age level, appropriateness, appearance, versatility, durability, and safety. SCRIBBLE STAGE EXPERIENCES FOR THE STUDENT A. Exercise 1. Goal: To experience some of the lack of motor control of a young child in the scribble stage. 1. The student is to use the hand opposite the writing hand to “draw” a crayon picture. Using a large crayon in the hand that is not usually used for drawing, the student should experience difficulties like those of the young child.
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2. Consider and discuss the following: a. clumsy feeling of the crayon in hand b. lack of good control over finger and hand movements. c. inability to draw exactly what is desired d. difficulty in controlling crayon, paper, and hand movements all at once 3. Try painting on your knees at an easel. Discuss how it felt and how it may have affected your painting. After this experience, what would you change about your approach to easels and painting for young children? B. Exercise 2. Goal: To experience the pure motor pleasure of scribbling. 1. The student is to close both eyes and do a crayon scribbling. 2. To experience feelings similar to the young child, consider and discuss the following: a. difficulty of overcoming the adult need for seeing as well as doing b. how it feels to move hand and fingers for movement’s sake alone c. what forms are seen in the scribbles d. feelings about how the drawing looks
to the concept of the artist as well as to different techniques and a wide variety of art materials. F. Work with a small group of children (or even one child) to try to motivate art with a firsthand experience, such as touching a tree or kitten or observing a moth. Then ask the children to draw a picture. Identify how this experience influenced the drawings. G. Obtain samples of drawing from children in grades 1–5. Separate them by grade level. Using the stages presented in the “This One’s For You!” box on page 153, discuss how each sample fits (or doesn’t fit) the general characteristics of that grade level/stage. H. Collect samples of drawing from one grade level only (grades 1–5). Sort them according to how they represent the grade level stage. For example, sort them out by grouping the samples most near the characteristics of the grade level stage down through those with the least characteristics of the grade level stage. Discuss the ranges of abilities represented in these samples. Share your ideas on how you would work with each of the children whose samples you have in your collection.
RECOGNIZING AND EVALUATING THE THREE ART STAGES
ACTIVITIES FOR CHILDREN
Obtain samples of drawings from children one and one-half to five years of age. Separate the samples into three groups (one for each stage). Give reasons for the stage selected for each sample, especially for the samples that are not clearly defined. A. Note and explain the differences in scribble stage examples: 1. early or later scribbling period 2. type of scribbles (circular, jagged) 3. control of crayon B. Note and explain the differences in basic forms examples: 1. type of basic forms used 2. low clear and exact the forms are 3. control of crayon 4. early or later basic forms period C. Note and explain the differences in pictorial examples: 1. early or later period 2. what basic forms are combined into symbols 3. observable symbols D. Use the same drawings and see if you can determine why some people believe children draw what they feel, know, and see. E. Make a list of children’s books with outstanding illustrations that could be used to introduce children
A. Display prints of famous artworks. Examples: Mondrian’s Composition with Red, Blue, and Yellow, Pollock’s Detail of One (#31, 1950), and Van Gogh’s Cypress Trees. See if these examples affect the children’s choice of colors, type of figures made, and amount of details in their pictures. B. Play music during part of the art period. Compare the drawings made with music to those done without music. SOME VARIATIONS ON EASEL PAINTING ■ use a number of shades of one color ■ use colored paper—colored newsprint comes in pastel shades or the backs of faded construction paper can be used ■ use the same color of paint with same color paper. ■ use black and white paint ■ use various sizes of brushes, or both flat and floppy ones, with the same colors of paint ■ paint objects the children have made in carpentry, or paint dried clay objects ■ paint large refrigerator-type boxes
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■ Work on a long piece of paper (computer paper) together to produce murals ■ paint the fence with water and large brushes ■ draw firmly on paper with crayons, and paint over it to produce “crayon resist” art ■ use all pastel colors (start with white and add color a bit at a time when mixing) ■ set up a table with many colors of paint and encourage the children to select the colors they prefer ■ paint to music
PAINTING WITH SOFT OBJECTS Child dips a cotton ball in a shallow dish of wet paint. She can smear it or squish it on paper or another surface. Try dipping a cotton ball into dry powdered paint. Rubbing it across dry paper creates an interesting soft effect.
PRINTING A. Toy Prints Dip the wheels of an old toy car, truck, or other toy in paint. Children then make tracks on the paper. B. Plastic Alphabet Letters and Numbers Dip plastic alphabet letters and numbers in paint and print them on paper. C. Paper Cup Printing Dip the rim of a paper cup into paint. Press the rim on paper to make a design. D. Comb Printing Dip the teeth of a comb into paint. Print with it by drawing it along the paper. E. Printing with Clay Children pound clay into small flat cakes about an inch thick. Then they may want to carve a design on the flat surface with a bobby pin or popsicle stick. If desired, the design is either brushed with paint or dipped in paint and pressed onto paper to print the design.
COTTON SWAB PAINTING Dip cotton swabs into paint, and use as a brush.
BUTTON PRINTING Glue buttons onto small wooden dowels for children to use in printing. Vary the sizes, shapes, and designs of buttons.
FABRIC PAINTING Wrap small pieces of burlap, nylon netting, or other textured fabrics (2 1/2 x 3 inches square) over a sponge that has been attached to a clothespin or secured to a dowel with a piece of string or elastic. Dip fabric into paint and press onto a surface. PINECONE PRINTING
SPONGE PAINTING Cut sponges into different shapes. Children may dip each shape in paint. Then dab, press, or rub it on paper.
Roll whole or pieces of pinecones in paint. The large ones with flat bottoms can be dipped into paint and used to print images and designs. COMBINATION PAINTING
PAPER TOWEL PAINTING Wad a paper towel into a ball. Children may want to dip it in paint. Then dab, press, or rub it on paper.
CRAYONS Try a variety of surfaces for crayon drawings. Children may enjoy drawing with crayons on these surfaces for variety: fabric sticks and stones egg cartons spools and clothespins paper towel rolls cardboard sandpaper styrofoam trays wood scraps
Thicken tempera paint with liquid starch. Divide the paint up into individual portions. Have the children use this paint in their paintings. While the paint is still wet, the children can sprinkle the painting with any of the following for attractive combination paintings: salt, coffee grounds, eggshells, glitter, colored rice, tiny styrofoam balls, seeds, cornmeal, sequins, tiny beads. The media dries in the paint for interesting effects. SMALL-GRAINED PASTING ACTIVITIES The child paints an area of paper with either a white glue mixture or liquid starch. Then, the child shakes on any small-grained media such as sand, salt, flour, or cornmeal. These can be put into shakers with large or
CHAPTER 10 Developmental Levels and Art
small holes. (Dry tempera can also be added to granular material.)
ACTIVITIES FOR OLDER CHILDREN (GRADES 4–5) LINE SHAPE AND SPACE: MAPS FROM THE AIR Discuss students’ experiences in seeing actual or televised views of the earth from high in the sky. Have students describe any differences between extremely high views (many weather reports have satellite views) and views closer to the ground (hot air balloon or lowflying aircraft). You may want to explain that some artists are fascinated with map-like views of the earth. They have created original artworks to suggest the special arrangements of lines and shapes that people cannot see from the ground. Good examples of artwork to use for this are Clause Herbert Breeze’s “Canadian Atlas: Position of London,” Judith Wittlin’s “Cincinnati,” or “Late Evening Traffic” by Yvonne Jacquette. If you can’t obtain artwork prints, have a city map available to show the grid-like structures common to many cities and rural areas where the land is flat. From the air, and on maps, you can see graceful curves made by freeways. Point out the differences between an actual map and the paintings. (A map is more complex and has labels). Discuss the similarities and differences between the simple map and a painting. Guide students to see how the organic lines and shapes—those with complex, irregular curves—are related to natural forms such as the rivers, borders of an island, and surrounding land. Have students identify geometric lines and shapes that suggest the human-made environment (grid lines, long lines that might be highways) in the maps. Bring in old maps that can be cut apart and used for artwork. Have students work in small groups to identify sections of the maps where interesting organic or geometric lines and shapes occur on the map. Ask the students to offer explanations for these designs in relation to concepts from this lesson. Then have the students change the map into an abstract design by adding crayon or oil pastels or by cutting along lines and creating new shapes. Compare and contrast the results. INTEGRATED ART ACTIVITY: SCIENCE/INDEPENDENT RESEARCH Have the students look through science books for illustrations of linear structures (snowflakes, bones, blood
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circulation, plants, geological formations, and the like). Have them select a small section of one of the illustrations and draw a similar structure on a large sheet of paper. After they have completed the drawing, have them use dark colors of crayons or oil pastels to increase the width of lines, making an abstract design. Shapes between the lines might be colored as well. Display the work and discuss relationships between the “artistic structure” and the structure shown in the scientific illustration. INTEGRATED ART ACTIVITY: LANGUAGE ARTS/AESTHETIC AWARENESS Explore the connotations of phrases such as “the blues,” or “I’m feeling blue,” “green with envy,” and the like. Ask the students to give additional examples of the use of color-related words to describe moods or feelings. Write the phrases on the chalkboard, in two columns, so students can compare and contrast phrases for warm colors and cool colors. Have the students select one of these phrases and create an artwork that uses the phrases as a title and is dominated by variations on the color in the title. INTEGRATED ART ACTIVITY: LANGUAGE ARTS/ART CRITICISM Ask the students to speculate on reasons why many artists like to create paintings that portray flowers in vases. There are many reasons. Flowers in general are symbols of a cycle of life. Cut flowers are often symbolically related to the concept of enjoying moments of beauty. The colors, lines, textures, and other qualities provide a challenge for artists to interpret. The paintings are also enjoyed by many people, especially in homes, where the image of a vase of flowers can add a feeling of warmth or happiness. You might want to include prints of flower paintings, such as Van Gogh’s “Sunflowers” for students or any of Georgia O’Keeffe’s flower paintings to include in this discussion. Provide students an opportunity to create their own flower paintings. AESTHETIC AWARENESS Have students cut out, from old magazines or newspapers, some black and white photographs. Provide them with viewfinders. (See telescope activity in Chapter 9). Have them place the viewfinder over the photograph and look for the darkest area of the photograph. Show them how to trace around the edges of the hole of the
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viewfinder to mark the place on the photograph, then cut out and save the piece. Have them continue to identify and cut out four or five other pieces that differ from each other in value. Have students arrange the pieces in a light to dark sequence. Ask pairs of students to check each others’ arrangements.
CHAPTER REVIEW 1. Describe a young child in the scribble stage in the following areas: a. age b. degree of motor control c. reason for scribbling 2. List three basic forms that a child in the basic forms stage may be able to draw. 3. Describe a schema. 4. Give four examples of symbols. 5. Discuss the importance of children’s naming their pictures. 6. Define the term two-dimensional media and give an example of a two-dimensional process. 7. List the materials that are right for children in the scribble stage and basic forms stage. a. For the scribble stage, what are the best (a) crayon size and type; (b) paper size and type? b. For the basic forms stage, what are the best (a) tools for drawing; (b) paper size and type? 8. Give an example of an early and a later combination of basic forms. 9. In the following, decide which period of the pictorial stage best shows each listed characteristic. Period Characteristics of Drawing 1. early pictorial stage a. few, unrelated 2. later pictorial stage figures b. greater degree and amount of detail c. narrative or story drawings d. greater size to show importance e. larger head size for figures 10. Choose the answer that best completes these statements about the basic forms stage: a. The child with good motor control (a) drops the crayon often. (b) uses a clenched grip. (c) uses more hand than arm movement. b. An early type of basic form is
(a) well drawn. (b) a less clear form. (c) combined to make a symbol. c. In the later period of basic forms, a child (a) cannot draw good basic forms. (b) easily draws clear forms. (c) fills the page with practice forms.
REFERENCES Feeney, S., Christensen, D., & Maravcik, E. (1995). Who am I in the lives of children? An introduction to teaching young children (5th ed.). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall. Kellogg, R. (1970). Analyzing children’s art. Palo Alto, CA: National Press Books. Lowenfeld, V. (1987). Creative and mental growth of the child (8th ed.). New York: Macmillan. Seefeldt, C. (1995, March). Art: A serious work. Young Children, 39–44. Warren, J. (Ed.). (1987). Teaching tips. Everett, WA: Warren.
ADDITIONAL READINGS Bredekamp, S. (1997). National Institute. NAEYC issues revised position statement on developmentally appropriate practice in early childhood programs. Young Children, 52 (2), 34–30. Bredekamp, S., & Copple, S. C. (Eds.). (1997). Developmentally appropriate practice in early childhood programs. (Rev. ed.) Washington, DC: NAEYC. Brittain, L. (Ed.). (1968). Viktor Lowenfeld speaks on art and creativity. Reston, VA: NAEA. Burchfield, D. W. (1996). Teaching all children: Four developmentally appropriate curricular and institutional strategies in primary-grade classrooms. Young Children, 52 (1), 4–10. Caldwell, L. B. (1997). Bringing Reggio Emilia home: An innovative approach to early childhood education. New York: Teachers College Press. Cohen, L. E. (1997). How I developed my kindergarten book backpack program. Young Children, 52 (2), 69–71. Dunn, L., & Kontos, S. (1997). Research in review. What have we learned about developmentally appropriate practice? Young Children, 52(5), 4–13. Engle, B. S. (1996). Learning to look: Appreciating child art. Young Children, 51 (3), 74–79. Danielson, C., & Abrutyn, L. (1997). An introduction to using portfolios in the classroom. Alexandria, VA: Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development.
CHAPTER 10 Developmental Levels and Art
Gronlund, G. (1998). Portfolios as an assessment tool: Is collection of work enough? Young Children, 53 (3), 4–10. Harris, T. T., & Fuque, J. D. (1996). To build a house: Designing curriculum for primary-grade children. Young Children,52 (1), 77–83. Harter, S. (1996). Developmental changes in self-understanding across the 5 to 7 shift. In A. J. Sameroff & M. M. Haith (Eds.), The five to seven year shift: The age of reason and responsibility (pp. 207–236). Chicago: University of Chicago Press. Klimenkov, M., & LaPick, N. (1996). Promoting student self-assessment through portfolios, student-facilitated conferences, and cross-age interaction. In R. C. Calfee & P. Perfumo (Eds.), Writing portfolios in the classroom: Policy and practice, promise and peril (pp. 239–259). Mahwah, NJ: Erlbaum. Moening, A. A., & Bhavnagri, N. P. (1996). Effects of the showcase writing portfolio process on first graders’ writing. Early Education and Development, 7, 179–199. Oken-Wright, P. (1998). Transition to writing: Drawing as a scaffold for emergent writers. Young Children, 53(2), 76–81.
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Paris, S. G., & Ayres, L. R. (1994). Becoming reflective students and teachers with portfolios and authentic assessment. Washington, DC: American Psychological Assoc. Pelander, J. (1997). My transition from conventional to more developmentally appropriate practices in the primary grades. Young Children, 52 (7), 19–25. Potter, E. F. (1999, Summer). What should I put in my portfolio? Supporting young children’s goals and evaluations. Childhood Education, 75 (4), 210–224. VandeWilt, J. L., & Moore, V. (1998). Successfully moving toward developmentally appropriate practice: It takes time and effort! Young Children, 53 (4), 17–24. Williams, K. C. (1997). What do you wonder? Involving children in curriculum planning. Young Children, 49 (6), 78–81.
For additional creative activity resources, visit our Web site at www.EarlyChildEd.delmar.com.
SECTION 4 The Early Childhood Art Program REFLECTIVE QUESTIONS After studying this section, you should be able to answer the following questions. 1. How do my classroom art activities reflect the emphasis of process over product? 2. When I set up art activities for young children, what activities and materials do I plan to use for each different age and developmental level present in the group? 3. How do I avoid falling into a routine when planning, setting up, and using art activities with young children? 4. Am I keeping the early childhood program basic goals in mind as I plan lessons and activities? 5. Am I planning developmentally appropriate two- and three-dimensional art activities for all of the children in my group? 6. How are children using the two- and three-dimensional materials I have provided for them? Do they appear motivated and involved in exploring them? 7. How can I improve the appeal as well as range of two- and three-dimensional activities I currently use with young children? 8. What skills do the young children in my group already possess with regard to two- and three-dimensional media? Have I planned lessons and activities to match these skills? 9. What instructional strategies are best for young children’s learning and enjoyment with two- and three-dimensional media? 10. How will I modify my lessons and activities as children become more proficient in their use of art materials?
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PROGRAM BASICS: GOALS, SETTING UP, MATERIALS, AND STRATEGIES OBJECTIVES After studying this chapter, you should be able to: 1. Discuss goals for the early childhood art program. 2. Describe the basic setup for the early childhood art program. 3. List the basic materials, equipment, and their uses in the early childhood art program.
A
rt experiences are an essential part of the early childhood curriculum. Yet, creative experiences do not just happen. They are the result of careful planning. This chapter covers three major areas of concern in planning for children’s creative art experiences: (1) program goals; (2) setting up for art activities; and (3) using basic art materials and equipment.
The first and main goal in all art experiences is not the end product but the process of creating. It is in the process that the child expresses experiences and feelings. The expression of one’s self is what is important here, not what the finished product looks like. Lowenfeld expresses the importance of the process of creating as follows:
BASIC GOALS OF THE EARLY CHILDHOOD ART PROGRAM
Art activity cannot be imposed but must come from a spirit within. This is not always an easy process, but the development of creative abilities is essential in our society, and the youngster’s drawing reflects his creative growth both in the drawing and in the process of making the art form (Lowenfeld & Brittain, p. 5, 1987).
The early childhood art program provides the time and place to express thoughts, ideas, feelings, actions, and abilities in a variety of media and activities. PROCESS, NOT PRODUCT They provide young children many opportunities to work with a variety of materials and techniques to express themselves creatively.
Another reason that it is better to emphasize the process is that young children are not yet skillful users of materials. Much of their creative effort is expended in the manipulative experience of trying materials out and becoming acquainted with them. Also, young children are more interested in doing than in producing and rarely, if ever, betray a planned intention when
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they take up their paintbrushes or select collage materials. This sort of advance planning belongs to children on the verge of kindergarten age. Older children in middle and upper elementary levels will be more purposeful in their creative activities. However, this does not change the fact that the main objective of their artistic endeavors is self-expression. Children take paints, bits of cloth, clay, wood, and stone and put them together into products that express their own ideas. In the art program, emphasis must be on continued satisfying experiences with many kinds of materials and a continued involvement in the process of making. Creative activities provide opportunities for self-expression by allowing children to construct something that is uniquely their own. NEEDS OF THE CHILDREN A second major objective of the art program is to meet the needs of the children. This means that it must be designed for their age, ability, and interest levels. Thus, a program for three-year-olds is set up to have the right materials and activities for a group with a limited interest span and limited motor control. It has materials and activities that interest them and that they can use without a lot of adult help. Two-year-olds are at the point of learning how to tear and paste and do not require scissors, whereas three- and four-year-olds are able to use scissors independently. The same applies to art activities for four-, five-, and six-year-olds. In a mixed age group, the program must be set up with a variety of materials and activities available to all children in the group. For middle and upper elementary students who are beginning to create more complex works of art, there needs to be an increased supply of materials and equipment for their creative expression. The teacher’s job at this level is to maximize students’ use of these resources as they continue to develop their imaginations in art experiences. ORIGINALITY AND INDEPENDENCE A third important objective of the early childhood art program is to give each child the chance to think originally and to learn to work independently. In artwork, a child can use and explore all kinds of materials. This encourages original, divergent thought. Also, giving children material that they can control at their physical level encourages independent work. These two things (originality and ability to work on their own) are basic to children’s creativity. With older children, you can expect and plan for a higher degree of independence in use of materials. With ready access to a variety of materials, if allowed,
children are able to be self-directed and choose the materials they need to express ideas. At this level, instead of relying on the teacher to pass out supplies and leading a lesson, self-directed independent children are able to get their own materials needed for creative work.
CREATIVE THINKING Another goal in the early childhood art program is for children to be creative thinkers. Creative children work freely and flexibly. They attack each problem without fear of failure. Children in an art program that is right for their developmental level are able to work creatively, freely, and flexibly. They can handle the material in the setting, which helps them feel more sure of themselves. If children do not feel secure, safe, and comfortable with themselves, the teacher, and the other children, they will not be able to take the risk or meet the challenge involved in producing art. Children must know that they, the ideas and feelings they have, and the art they produce will be accepted and respected (Seefeldt, 1995). All students have an individual way of approaching the creative process. Each student has an individual learning style which will influence how he or she will work in art activities. See Figure 11–1 for information on learning styles and appropriate art projects for each style.
INDIVIDUALIZED PROGRESS Finally, the art program must allow children to grow at their own speed. Activities may be planned to stimulate children, but true growth comes only at their own pace. Just as children learn to walk on their own, they learn to paint by painting in their own way. In the art program, young children are given time to grow, explore, and experiment with materials at their own pace. Two- and three-year-olds, barely out of the sensorimotor stage of development, are respected for being two or three. These young children are expected to explore materials; to enjoy feeling, tasting, and playing with crayons; to scribble and mess around; and to find out how paint feels on their hands and faces or what they can do with soft clay. Children are not hurried or pressured into representing their ideas or feelings through art, nor to be interested in the product, much less to produce one. Children who have had the opportunity and time to explore and experiment with materials as toddlers are more ready at three, four, or five to find out how they can gain control over the materials and use them to express themselves. Preschoolers who have been
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Will Enjoy Art Projects that…
And will enjoy helping out in the Classroom by…
An Interpersonal Learner “The Socializer” ■ interactive ■ communicative ■ group-oriented ■ extroverted
■ are group projects ■ require giving/receiving
■ distributing and collecting
feedback ■ require group leaders
■ mediating
An Intrapersonal Learner “The Individual” ■ individualistic ■ solitary ■ self-reflective ■ introverted
■ are individual projects ■ focus on feelings, dreams,
■ arranging items in storage
or self ■ are goal-oriented
■ assisting teacher before or
A Bodily/Kinesthetic Learner “The Mover” ■ physically active ■ hands-on ■ talkative
■ involve physical motion such
■ running errands ■ role-playing safety rules ■ distributing and collecting
A student who is…
A Verbal/Linguistic Learner “The Word Player” ■ oriented toward language, words, reading and writing
as dancing or acting ■ involve touching various objects, materials, and textures
spaces after class
materials
words ■ involve storytelling
■ reading instructions aloud ■ labeling storage spaces ■ creating “rules” posters
■ involve patterns, relationships
■ arranging or classifying
or symbols ■ require problem-solving
■ help solve problems
A Visual/Spatial Learner “The Visualizer” ■ imaginative ■ creative ■ oriented toward colors, pictures
■ involve colors and designs ■ involve painting, drawing, or
■ creating displays of artworks ■ designing charts and posters
A Musical/Rhythmic Learner “The Music Lover” ■ oriented toward music, rhythmic sounds and environmental sounds
■ involve rhythmic patterns,
A Logical/Mathematical Learner “The Questioner” ■ inquisitive ■ experimental ■ oriented toward numbers, patterns and relationships
■ involve spoken or written words
materials
materials for distribution
sculpture ■ require active imagination
singing, humming, responding to music, keeping time, or listening for sounds
■ thinking of clean-up songs ■ thinking of safety songs ■ creating displays about
music or musicians
Acquiring English ■ require limited word usage ■ involve terminology from
■ creating labels and posters in
their first language ■ involve simple name/word games
■ creating images or icons for
their 1st language bulletin boards ■ sharing elements of their
culture with other students FIGURE 11–1
Learning styles and art activities (Gardner, 1993, 1999)
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Children with Special Needs All students benefit from a balanced program of creative work in two- and three-dimensional media and from the opportunity to try out different approaches to art. It is essential for you to encourage original thinking and authentically creative work for all children with special needs. Creativity is one of the most important considerations as you conduct creative activities and adapt instruction to meet the needs of individual students and groups who have special needs. Artwork that is traced, copied from adult art or based on ditto patterns does not involve the student in significant creative activity and should not be encouraged. Talent plays a role in students’ interest and skill in art, just as it does in other subjects. During the elementary and middle school years, encourage varieties of artistic accomplishment and understanding, not just skill in representational drawing. It is unwise to identify a few students as “class artists,” or to compare students’ artwork in a manner that discourages further interest. Always respect each student’s unique effort and insights about art. Students with visual impairments can respond to discussions of artwork, especially themes portrayed in artworks that are related to the student’s experience. In art activities, provide materials to create tactile, kinesthetic artwork—clay, textured paper, and cloth, small boxes or wood blocks to arrange. Students with speech and hearing impairments respond slowly to verbal communication. Use nonverbal communication: Have students point out what FIGURE 11–2
they see or use pantomime to express responses. Present information through diagrams, charts, and other visual aids. Non-verbal communication can be valuable for all students. Students who have impaired mobility may need to use alternate tools and materials for some activities. Rehabilitation specialists may help you solve unique problems. A number of special tools are available for students with physical impairments (scissors, a mouthpiece which holds a pencil or brush). Students who are mentally challenged have difficulty grasping complex ideas in art and other subjects. Even so, they often respond to art in a direct and insightful manner. They are often able to portray their ideas or feelings more successfully through art than through words. Simplify and separate into specific steps any more difficult activities. Encourage independent thinking about the ideas to be expresses. Students who do not speak English benefit from many of the same nonverbal teaching strategies already noted. Introduce the whole class to the arts and culture of the students. This will broaden the art background of all the students and help them communicate with each other. Respect other cultural differences. An important aspect of art is learning about the arts of cultural groups. Identify individuals and groups in your community who can help familiarize students with unique cultural traditions in the arts and crafts. All students can benefit from learning about these examples of “living cultures” within their own community.
Responding to students’ special needs
deprived of a period of messing around with art materials, who have been expected to produce adultpleasing products as toddlers, will require a great deal of time to explore art materials before they can use them to express ideas or feelings (Seefeldt, 1995). Individual growth rate must also be a consideration when working with children with special needs. Figure 11–2 summarizes the ways a teacher can respond to students’ special needs in art activities. Respecting each child’s rate of growth helps them feel good about themselves. Children who feel good about themselves will be successful in the art program and in other learning situations.
SETTING UP FOR ART ACTIVITIES Whether setting up an art center or an entire room for art experiences, there are certain basic guidelines for arranging the environment. The age of the group will always be a major consideration in planning, as each age group has varying abilities and interests requiring different arrangements. Specific requirements for different age groups are covered in Chapter 6. At this point, our discussion covers basic guidelines that cross age levels. The following are basic to setting up art activities:
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Teacher Tips
The way a teacher sets up her own materials, supplies, and space can make or break the children’s and teacher’s successful experiences in art. The following are suggestions on how to arrange teacher supplies for art experiences, as well as how to organize children’s supplies. 1. Scissors Holders. Holders can be made from gallon milk or bleach containers. Simply punch holes in the container and place scissors in holes with the points to the inside. Egg cartons turned upside down with slits in each mound also make excellent holders. 2. Paint Containers. Containers can range from muffin tins and plastic egg cartons to plastic soft drink cartons with baby food jars in them. These work especially well outdoors as well as indoors because they are large and not easily tipped over. Place one brush in each container; this prevents colors from getting mixed and makes cleanup easier.
3. Crayon Containers. Juice and vegetable cans painted or covered with contact paper work very well. 4. Crayon pieces may be melted down in muffin trays in a warm oven. These, when cooled down, are 5. 6. 7. 8. 9.
10.
11. 12.
nice for rubbings or drawings. Printing with tempera is easier if the tray is lined with a sponge or paper towel. A card file for art activities helps organize the program. Clay Containers. Airtight coffee cans and plastic food containers are excellent ways to keep clay moist and always ready for use. Paper Scrap Boxes. By keeping two or more boxes of scrap paper, children will be able to choose the size paper they want more easily. To color rice or macaroni, put two tablespoons each of rubbing alcohol and food coloring into a jar. Cap and shake well. Add rice and macaroni and shake again. Turn out onto towels and let dry approximately 10 to 15 minutes. Cover a wall area with pegboard and suspend heavy shopping bags or transparent plastic bags from hooks inserted in the pegboard. Hang smocks in the same way on the pegboard (at child level, of course). Use the back of a piano or bookcase for hanging a shoe bag. Its pockets can hold many small items. Use divided frozen food trays or a revolving lazy Susan to hold miscellaneous small items.
General considerations. The art area needs to be arranged for ease in cleaning up and dispensing materials. One type of arrangement that works well is to separate wet from dry materials. For example, clay and paint centers can be placed near the room’s water source. To work creatively with art materials, children need to be free from constraints and worry related to keeping themselves and their work spaces clean. Children will need smocks to protect clothing, supplies for covering work surfaces, and tools for cleaning. Children will also need to know where to place work in progress for safekeeping and where wet items can be left to dry. Providing these arrangements is part of the teacher’s responsibility as a guide and facilitator.
Sharp materials such as scissors must be placed out of reach of children who have not yet mastered handling them independently and safely. Usually such materials are dispensed from a teacher-height counter placed in a location convenient to children’s work tables. Easels are placed out of the way of traffic so that children can work without being jostled. Next to the easels are places for children to hang paint smocks and a rack to drape paintings to dry. The rack where children’s paintings are hung is situated so that the children do not have to carry their wet paintings through areas where other children are working, in order to hang them. Drying racks are convenient to have in early childhood classrooms. However, the commercial type can be expensive. An inexpensive substitute can be assembled
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When liquid detergent is available, children can rub it into stubborn stains made by paint, glue, or crayons.
Set up art materials so that children have daily art experiences. A teacher should make sure every day that there are designated places, equipment, and materials for art experiences. For example, every day the teacher prepares easels with paper and paints for children’s use. This way, there is a smooth movement through the easel area instead of the teacher rushing around to get paint ready amid waiting children. Have a supply of paper, crayons, pencils and clay available in a set place every day for the children’s use. Tearing, cutting, and pasting supplies should be ready and easily available, too. (Specific suggestions on supplies and their care follow later in this chapter.) As part of this preparation, the teacher guides the children in learning the necessary use and care of all equipment as it is set up. Being prepared in all these ways ensures that children will have the supplies they need, know where to get them, and how to use them—which encourages them to pursue independent, creative activities on a daily basis.
Set up for weekly art activities. To enhance FIGURE 11–3
To work creatively, children need to be free from constraints and worry about keeping themselves clean.
in the same manner as a bookshelf. Cardboard is placed on top of four brick or block supports (one in each corner). Several layers are built so paintings can be left on the shelves for drying. Two other methods for drying paintings are (1) hanging paintings on a clothesline suspended above the head of the tallest adult and (2) using a portable, folding clothes-drying rack. However, paintings can drip in both of these methods. Windowsills can also be used, especially for drying three-dimensional artwork. Masonite boards cut in 10-inch squares are convenient for transporting wet or unfinished clay work and assemblages to a place where they can dry. The children can work directly on the boards when they start their modeling and construction. These boards can frequently be obtained from scrap piles at a lumberyard or purchased inexpensively. Foam core board or heavy corrugated cardboard can also be used. A place for children to wash after using wet materials must also be nearby. A plastic kitchen tub half filled with water and placed on a low stand next to the paper towels and wastebasket works well. Include a bucket of small sponges near the art area. They are easy for children to use and can be rinsed and used again.
children’s creative experiences, the teacher plans for and sets up weekly art activities in addition to the children’s daily experiences. For example, a teacher might plan a unit on printing (see Chapter 12 for more information on printing), using each week to introduce a specific technique of printing. This, of course, would be in addition to and not in place of the children’s regular art experiences. The teacher plans in advance to set up a table or other area with printing supplies and equipment. Scurrying around for “things to print with” at the last minute can be avoided in this planned weekly approach. Work of the previous week is evaluated before new plans are prepared. Even though plans have been carefully thought through, a teacher must be prepared to make changes due to unexpected events. For example, a sudden snow storm extends the amount of time the children will play outdoors. Or one morning the road outside the building is being repaired and huge machines appear on the street. The teacher of young children recognizes this scene as a good experience learning and arranges time for children to observe the workers. In weekly plans, teachers plan for a balance between the familiar and the new as they make decisions about how materials and equipment are to be used. Teachers need not be concerned that children may lose interest if the same activities are offered week
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als can be overwhelming and distracting. The same is true for older children at the beginning of a new school year. Children will feel more comfortable as the year begins by using familiar media and equipment they have used the previous school year. Therefore, materials offered at the beginning of the year should be those that are familiar to most children. For example, even a very shy child can feel secure at a table with crayons and paper. As children begin to know each other, feel more comfortable in the room, and become aware of the daily routines, additional materials can be introduced and activities can be expanded.
Set up the art area so that it facilitates children’s creative experiences. While specific
FIGURE 11–4
Although some children may occasionally enjoy working on the floor, it is important to have a table set up for regular art activities.
after week. If children have freedom to use materials in their own ways, they do not tire of working with the same ones. After children have gained success in using a material, they enjoy repeating the experience. Since some activities require more supervision than others, a teacher needs to consider how many activities will be available for a given period. The number of activities chosen that require close supervision depends upon the number of adults assigned to the room. After a teacher has made careful observations and has decided upon the activities for the week, he must think through what would be the best use of his time—for example, whether to give special attention to the block area or to the art area. If a new material or technique is being introduced, it generally requires teacher supervision. In this case, the teacher usually sits with a small group and participates in the activity with them. Unless there are several teachers in a room, it is unlikely there would be more than one group activity requiring close supervision. In weekly and monthly planning, consideration must be given to the time of the year and to the developmental levels of the children. At the beginning of a school year, too many choices and too much open space may be upsetting to children because they are not yet familiar with the room or the school. At a time when a teacher’s goal is to help children feel comfortable in the school, too many new and exciting materi-
materials and their use are discussed individually later in this chapter, there are some general ideas that apply to the use of materials for young children. Children work better in art activities in a predictable, organized environment where materials can always be found in the same place. For example, art materials on open storage shelves at child-level make it possible for children to find the materials they want to use easily and independently. Also, when materials such as paper or paste are spaced far apart on shelves, putting things back in place becomes an easier task for young children. (More information on setting up centers is found in Appendix C.) Art activities in the early childhood program work best on child-level tables and easels. Although some children may occasionally enjoy working on the floor, it is important to have a table set up for regular art activities. It is a good idea to have a limit on the number of children for each art activity/area to ensure the proper space for children as well as sufficient materials for each child.
SETTING UP FOR ART ACTIVITIES—SPECIFIC AGES In addition to the general considerations discussed earlier, there are some specific, age-related considerations for setting up art activities for young children. PLANNING ART ACTIVITIES FOR TODDLERS Very young children benefit from a program divided into well-defined areas in which they have freedom to move, explore, and make decisions about activities and materials. However, when planning for this age range,
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dlers are prone to falling, grabbing, and running; therefore they need clear, open spaces. They are also easily distracted by other activities, making task completion or cleanup difficult unless areas are visually divided. (See Appendix C for more information on dividing the room into centers.) The need for occasional solitude and quiet is especially important at this age. Toddlers can easily become overstimulated if exposed to too many activities at once. In view of all these considerations, dividing and organizing a room becomes an art in itself. Several arrangements should be tried to determine which one best fits the children’s needs. Some of the following interest areas may be considered when planning art and art-related centers for toddlers.
Construction center. Learning to put things
FIGURE 11–5
Creativity grows when children feel free of time constraints.
special considerations must be kept in mind. Since toddlers and young two-year-olds are very active and instinctively want to explore everything, the materials they use must be sturdy, practically indestructible, and should not include tiny pieces that might be swallowed. Put only a few materials out at a time so that young children are not overwhelmed with too many choices. Materials should be rotated often, and children should learn to work on the floor or table area nearby and not carry materials across the room. Art materials, such as crayons, play dough, colored markers, chalk, and paint, as well as materials such as sand and water, should be frequently available to children of this age. These materials are presented under the supervision of an adult so that appropriate use is encouraged. Also, since children of this age have difficulty sharing, duplicates of materials will help cut down on competition for the same items. Traffic patterns and the children’s distractibility also need to be considered when art or any other interest areas are arranged in the room. Place activities requiring running water, such as play dough and painting, convenient to sinks. Walking babies and younger tod-
together with blocks provides toddlers with a fun activity and introduces them to making original designs. A shelf or cabinet with a small set of blocks identifies the construction area. Units, double units, ramps, and a few semicircular blocks are just right for toddlers to use with cars and people on the floor. Smaller, colorful cubes, connecting blocks, and small foam blocks are appropriate on tables. Large Tinker Toys®, Lego® blocks, Bristle® blocks, and other varieties of construction toys help toddlers create different types of structures. Sorting sizes and putting together pieces teach the toddlers to discriminate and to develop control over
FIGURE 11–6
Painting is a relaxing as well as a creative activity.
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Sand table. A low table containing sand, vehicles, animals, shovels, and assorted funnels, cups and spoons is a standard fixture in the early childhood program. Toddlers gain a good deal from the endless sorting, measuring, classifying, and sensory experiences they have with sand. Scooping, patting, smoothing, pushing, piling, and packing are examples of activities with sand, all of which contribute to the child’s developing coordination and perception. Vocabulary is also developed when adults explain actions and changes everyone notices. The props should be changed occasionally, except when particular toddlers have strong preferences for some plaything. FIGURE 11–7
When a child gets involved in painting, the process of creating is more important than the product.
small muscles in the fingers and hands. Imaginative caregivers may need to work along with toddlers to build enthusiasm for using their own ideas in creating simple constructions. The child’s sense of design is developed in this type of activity.
Curiosity corner. Toddlers begin to appreciate the unusual objects to be found in the curiosity corner (with less mouthing and throwing). Plants, leaves, shells, magnets, pumpkins, nests, gourds, pinecones, tree bark, magnifiers, and many other natural objects and examining implements delight the curious toddler, who observes carefully, touching and feeling these objects. The assortment can be changed with each season. All of these experiences contribute to very young children’s understanding and knowledge of the world and help them develop an enduring curiosity. They also help develop a child’s appreciation of color, texture, size, and shape.
Sensory corner. An area with playthings rich in a variety of textures, shapes, sizes, sounds, weights, and colors can be an exciting spot for toddlers. Floors, walls, and the sides of cabinets can be used to mount textures. Bells, sound canisters and multisized balls, animals, cups, bowls, and similar sensory toy objects can be placed in containers together. All the sensory experiences contribute to the development of perceptual skills basic to all art activities. Shapes and visually detailed toys, for example, will improve the toddler’s visual perception. It is a challenge for toddlers to enjoy new playthings using the senses, such as soft rings and snakes made up of differently textured squares, quilts, and wall hangings or painted or covered sets of blocks with varying textures, colors, and sizes.
Special space.
An area of the toddler room can be devoted to unique projects and specially planned activities. Such activities might include specific experiences such as cooking. Special projects conducted a few times a week on a regular basis may be encouraged in this area, especially when the toddlers seem to need an interesting experience or when teachers wish to try something new and different.
ART ACTIVITIES FOR YOUNG PRESCHOOLERS, AGE TWO TO FOUR YEARS Most young preschoolers two to four years of age have a limited span of interest and attention. Many activities, even the most interesting, hold their interest for less than 10 minutes. However, it should be remembered that each child is different and interest spans may be shorter or longer for each individual child. The point is that the teacher must, first of all, plan activities that appeal to the interests of the young preschooler. Simple, basic art activities are most interesting to the child of this age group. Second, the teacher must be prepared to accept the fact that the activity may hold the child’s interest for only a short time. It helps to remember that a period of time that seems short to an adult may be quite long to the young preschool child. Finally, alternative and extra activities should be available for those children who may not be interested in the first activity planned. Because two- and three-year-old children require considerable supervision, many teachers prefer to introduce or arrange for only one supervised art activity each day. Sometimes they will divide the whole class into small groups for simultaneous participation. Unless there are several adults, this can be a difficult undertaking. In such a setup, one-to-one interaction between teacher and child, which is so necessary in the early years, will be limited. In addition, whole-group
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child keeps repeating the same crayon or paint symbols daily. Then it may be time to offer that child the stimulation contained in a change of medium or novel material. Let us now consider specific activities for the interest, ability, and skill levels of young preschool children.
FIGURE 11–8
Although children have a relatively short attention span at three years of age, certain activities might hold their interest for longer periods of time.
participation in art can frequently lead to conformity of response rather than individuality of expression. In one popular method for organizing supervised art activity, the teachers have the children take turns coming to an area where materials for art are arranged. The space will usually accommodate four to six children and provides opportunities for peer interaction as well as for interaction with the teacher. This arrangement allows for freedom of choice and gives children a chance to grow toward autonomous decision-making about the kind of art they will do. With the young preschool group, it is usually best to use only the basic materials at first. This helps keep the art program from being too confusing for the child. Using only a few crayons or paints or pasting one or two kinds of things at first is a good idea. It encourages children to experiment with each new tool and medium. They learn to use the basic tools and materials first. When they have acquired the basic skills, more colors and variety can be added. Why and when to provide a variety of materials for early childhood art deserves thoughtful consideration. After children have had opportunities to explore the basic expressive materials, varieties of the basics can be introduced, providing the children do not become overwhelmed. Two- and three-year-old children and some less secure older children may still need consistency because sameness and simplicity provide a sense of security. Observant teachers will notice when a child begins to lose interest in using art materials or when a
Collage. (For more information on the techniques of collage, see Chapter 12.) Making a collage is a good activity for young preschoolers, as it can be completed quickly and is within the interest span of most young preschoolers. It also encourages the use of small muscles as children tear and paste. Young preschoolers also benefit mentally as they learn to choose items and to arrange them in a collage. As they paste together a collage, they learn about the feel, shape, and color of many things and develop the ability to use things in unusual ways. At times, it may seem as if young preschoolers focus more on the paste than on the items being pasted, but that is part of the fun. The teacher must be sure that the objects available are suitable for the child who is using them. For example, it is important to keep tiny, inedible objects away from children who still put things in their mouth. With young preschoolers who are new to this activity, begin with just one thing to paste. A good idea is for them to make a tear-and-paste collage. To do this, provide the children with pieces of newspaper, colored tissue, or any colored scrap paper that tears easily. The teacher shows them, if necessary, how to tear large and small pieces. Then they paste these torn bits of paper on colored construction paper in any way they choose. This is a good activity for young preschoolers who do not want or are not yet able to use scissors. Some scissors should be available for children who want to try cutting the pieces to paste on the collage. However, children should not be forced to practice cutting. As the children master the basic technique of pasting, more objects can be added to the collage. Some good things to add are large buttons, bits of cloth and paper in different colors, textures, and shapes, and bottle caps. Care must be taken to be sure the materials are not sharp, not painted with lead paint, and not small enough to swallow. For a change of pace, different materials may be used for the backing of the collage. The children may use pieces of cardboard to paste things on, or shoe box lids, or even pieces of burlap. The teacher and children use their imaginations to come up with ideas for new and different collage materials. Painting. Young preschool children also get much satisfaction from working with paint at the easel and experimenting with color and form. Often, they paint
CHAPTER 11 Program Basics: Goals, Setting Up, Materials, and Strategies
one color on top of the other and enjoy the effect. But most of all, they enjoy the movement involved in painting. Finger paint is an especially good medium for this age group, as it can be manipulated over and over again. In this way, the process is stressed, not the product. This is very important for children, who at this age are learning the basic ways to use paint. This age group enjoys the feel (and sometimes the taste) of the paint. They may even use their upper arms and elbows to help them in their designs. To save on the cost of finger paint paper and to try something new, have the children finger paint on a formica table top, an enamel-top table, a sheet of smooth formica, or even linoleum. When this is done, a print can be made from the child’s finger painting by laying a piece of newsprint paper on the finger painting and gently rubbing it with one hand. The painting is transferred in this way from the table top to the paper. More finger paint activities are suggested later in this chapter. There may be some preschool children who do not like the feel of finger paint. If this is so, the child should never be forced to use it. Instead, another art activity can be found that the child will enjoy.
Printing. Printing with objects is an art activity that is appropriate for the age, ability, and interest level of young preschool children. In a basic printing activity, the child learns that an object dipped in or brushed with paint makes its own mark, or print, on paper. Children use small muscles in the hand and wrist as they hold the object, dip it in paint, and print with it on paper. They learn that each object has its own unique quality since each thing makes its own imprint. For the young preschool child, stick prints are a good place to start. In this type of printing, children dip small pieces of wood of various sizes and shapes into a thick tempera paint and press them onto a piece of paper. Twigs, wooden spools, wood clothespins, and bottle caps are objects suitable for three-year-olds to use in printing. After stick printing is mastered, printing with vegetables is good with this age group. Green peppers, carrots, turnips, and potatoes are some vegetables to try. The vegetables are sliced in half, making two smooth surfaces for printing. A good way for young preschoolers to begin printing is to “walk” the inked vegetable across the paper in even “steps.” When it gets to the other side, they walk it back again. By making three or four lines, or walks, the child has made a pattern. After one color is used, the vegetable can be wiped clean and another color used. Three-year-olds like to try many colors with the same printing object. They may even print over their first prints in a different color.
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More printing activities for young preschool children are found in Chapter 12 and at the end of this chapter.
Crayons. Crayons are the most basic, most familiar, and easiest tool for young preschoolers to use. Large crayons are easy to hold and can be used to make attractive colored marks on paper. Most young preschoolers have crayons, but often drawings on paper are the only use made of them. There are, however, several other ways to use crayons that the teacher might try to vary the program for young preschoolers. ■ Crayons and a Variety of Materials. Crayons can be used to draw on many surfaces. Cardboard in any form (including corrugated cardboard, paper gift boxes, and food trays) is a good surface for crayon drawings, as is styrofoam. Crayon drawings on sandpaper have an interesting effect. ■ Crayon Rubbings. Drawing pictures with crayons is only one of the uses for crayons. Crayon rubbing is a technique that young preschool children can easily master. To make a crayon rubbing, the child puts a piece of paper over a textured surface and rubs the sides of a peeled crayon over the paper. The crayon picks up the texture on the paper in a design. Some surfaces that can be used are bumpy paper food trays, bark, leaves, the sidewalk, bricks, and corrugated cardboard. This is a good activity for developing both small and large muscles. ■ Crayon Resist. Another way to use crayon is in crayon resist drawings. To make a resist drawing, the child first draws a picture on paper with crayons, pressing hard. She then paints over and around the crayon drawing with thin paint (tempera paint diluted with water). A dark-colored paint works best. The dark color fills in all the areas that the crayon has not covered. In the areas covered with crayon, the crayon “resists,” or is not covered by, the paint. Crayon resist gives the feeling of a night picture. It is a thrilling experience for the child to see the changes that come when the paint crosses the paper. See Chapter 12 for additional activities and techniques for using crayons. ART ACTIVITIES FOR OLDER PRESCHOOLERS AND KINDERGARTNERS (FOUR TO SIX YEARS) Just as in the case of the younger preschool child, there are preferred and suitable materials and activities for older preschoolers. Although there may be considerable overlap, children in this age group generally differ significantly from younger preschool children.
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Summary of Art Curriculum Goals/Activities— Grades 1–5 When planning art activities for older children, the following summary may provide you some ideas to help plan age appropriate activities. Grade 1: Students learn to identify visual elements such as lines, colors, shapes, textures, and their sensory qualities. Perceptual skills and a vocabulary for art are developed through role-playing, physical movement, visual searches, and game-like activities. Students create art based on imagination, personal interpretations of nature, familiar places, and activities with family or friends. They learn to plan their use of visual elements to create original artworks. They acquire basic skills in using media for drawing, painting, collage, printmaking, sculpture, and other threedimensional art. Students see and discuss styles and types of artwork from varied cultures and periods. They learn about places to see art in their community, where artists work, and the kinds of art they create. Students become aware of art in everyday life through lessons on architecture, clothing, and other environmental arts. The process of looking at art is presented as an enjoyable and integral part of learning about art. Students learn to perceive and describe the subject matter, visual elements, and mood in their own art and the work of adults. Students learn to express their opinions about art and to respond thoughtfully to others’ opinions. Grade 2: Students learn that observations of the environment—changes in weather, animals, the city by day and night–-have inspired adult artists and can be sources of inspiration for their own art. Perceptual skills and a meaningful art vocabulary are developed with an emphasis on imagination, sensory awareness, and visual recall. Students continue to create art based on imagination and personal interpretations of varied themes related to their environment, activities, and events. They learn to make intentional choices of lines, colors, and other visual elements. They use familiar media in new ways and combinations to create two-and threedimensional art. Students continue to learn about varied styles and types of art with greater emphasis on the cultural origin and functions of artworks. They expand their knowledge of types of artists, where they work, and reasons people create or display art. Lessons on architecture and product design and related art forms focus attention on art in everyday life. Students continue to learn that looking at art is an enjoyable and thoughtful process. They perceive, compare, and contrast the subject matter and visual elements in artworks. They learn that judgments about art—their own and others’—should be based on features they perceive in the artwork. Grade 3: Students become aware of and develop an ability to use different vantage points, e.g., side views, top views, for observing objects and scenes. They learn to perceive and describe subtle visual qualities such as lines, colors, shapes, textures, and patterns within the natural and constructed environment. Students continue to create art based on imagination, recall, and observation. They learn to portray details, depict action, use different vantage points, and plan their use of visual qualities to express an idea, feeling, or non-verbal message. Activities develop flexibility and problem-solving skills in two- and threedimensional media and art forms. Artworks are selected to help students appreciate themes, types, and styles of art. The functions, cultural origin, and relative age of selected artworks are studied along with methods and reasons for creating art. The concept of living with art is developed in lessons about crafts, architecture, and related art forms. Positive attitudes about the process of looking at art are reinforced and extended. Students learn to perceive more subtle visual qualities in their own art and the art of adults. They use art terms to describe,
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THINK ABOUT IT...(Continued) analyze, and interpret visual qualities of artworks. They develop skill in talking about specific features in an artwork to explain their judgment of it. Grade 4: Increased visual awareness is developed as students learn to identify subtle visual qualities in the natural and constructed environment and artworks. Greater emphasis is placed on perceiving implied paths of movement, interactions of colors and shapes, moods of places at different times of day, and in different seasons or weather. Students create more complex works of art and give greater attention to their expressive intentions. They use design concepts for specific purposes, such as color to express a mood and repetition to create visual rhythms. Efficient and inventive uses of media are emphasized to build skills and flexibility in creating expressive two- and three-dimensional art. Students contrast and compare the functions, cultural origin, and relative age of artworks from different eras. Students learn that creating and studying art can be a life-long pursuit or career. Lessons about innovative and traditional art reinforce the concept of art as a “living heritage” that brings artistry to daily life. Students learn to be art “detectives” who seek answers to questions such as How is the work planned (designed)? What materials were used? What ideas or moods are expressed? Students learn that thoughtful judgments about art are related to qualities in the work and how they can be interpreted. Grade 5: Students learn to apply and refine perceptual skills developed in earlier grades. They learn to identify and analyze more subtle and complex visual relationships such as how light affects our perception of colors, textures, and forms, and how we perceive space and distance. Students continue to create art in order to express what they see, know, feel. and imagine. They make sketches to develop ideas and to try out design concepts. Skills in using media are developed by problemsolving and planned experiments. Multi-step techniques are introduced in two- and three-dimensional media. Students learn about selected styles and historical changes in art of the Americas as well as world cultures. They learn more about careers in art, the use of computers for art, and the role of museums. Lessons acquaint students with art in public places and 20th century art forms such as photography and filmmaking. Students learn that criteria for judgments of their own and others’ work should be relevant to its general style or purpose—expressive, imaginative, representational, abstract, or functional.
There are some general traits of preschoolers and kindergartners four to six years old. Small muscle development in the fingers, hands, and wrists is much improved. Whereas younger preschool children may have great difficulty buttoning their clothing or using scissors, most in this older group do not. Use of crayons, colored markers, and, in some cases, pencils and pens is quite possible. With their vocabulary now expanded to over two thousand words, they are quite capable of speaking in sentences of four and five words. Their ability to converse, coupled with their increased attention span, now allows for some smallgroup activities in the art program. Since these children are very interested in life beyond home and school, art activities including outside environments (television characters, for example) can be stimulating. Youngsters of this age paint and
draw with more purpose. Designs and pictures are within their abilities. These will probably be somewhat simple, but nonetheless fun and exciting for the children to do. If a variety of materials is available, especially to children five years of age and older, they can discover alternative ways of accomplishing similar tasks. For example, if glue does not hold, children may try tape or a stapler. If other fibers are available in addition to yarn, children will experiment and discover possibilities for knotting, stitching, or weaving with each. Children, finding some materials more satisfying than others, are more apt to use them to express ideas. With variety, older children come to understand that color, line, form, and texture can be expressed through different materials. The first cooperative or group art projects will usually take place in kindergarten. In most cases the
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children discuss the joint effort but work individually. Then the teacher helps arrange the individual contributions into a whole. (See Chapter 12 for discussion of a group mural as an example of this group activity approach.) Older children, in grades 1–5, will continue to express their creative potential if appropriate art activities are provided for them. See Figure 11–9 for a summary of appropriate curriculum goals and activities for children in grades 1–5. Let us now consider some specific art activities and the required materials and strategies for each. FIGURE 11–9
BASIC EQUIPMENT, MATERIALS, AND USE What follows are lists of basic art materials needed in the early childhood art program and related strategies for their use. Basic recipes for making finger paint, paste, play dough, and other related materials are found in Appendix C. In choosing from the lists, the teacher must keep in mind the motor control, coordination, and overall developmental level of children in the group.
A place to work, with sufficient and appropriate materials allows children to express themselves creatively.
Crayons are an ideal medium for children; they are bold, colorful, clean, and inexpensive. They consist of an oily or waxy binder mixed with color pigments. They are of various types, some soft, some semihard, some for general use with young children (kindergarten or “fat” crayons). Crayons work well on most papers. They do not blend well; if attempts are made to do this, the wax often “tears.”
CHALKING MATERIALS AND USE DRAWING MATERIALS AND USE 1. Sturdy sheets of paper (manila or newsprint, 8” x 12” or 12” x 18”). Spread the paper on a table or on the floor, or pin it to a wall or easel. Paper of different shapes and colors may be used for variety. 2. A basket of jumbo crayons about three quarters of an inch in width. These are a good size for the muscle control of small fingers. Unwrap the crayons so they can be used on both the sides and the ends. 3. Colored markers in many colors and tip widths. (Be sure they are not permanent markers.) Colored markers come in beautiful, clear colors. Compared with paint, they have the additional advantage of staying bright and unsullied until the children use them up. Most schools set out crayons or pens jumbled together in a basket. However, you might try assembling them in separate boxes so that each user has an individual, complete set. This cuts down on arguments and means that all the colors are available to each child as the children require them. Another alternative is to store crayons in widemouth containers according to color—all red crayons in one container, all blue in another, etc.
1. A blackboard and eraser, and/or a stack of wet or dry (or both) paper. 2. A container full of colored and white chalk. Chalk is inexpensive and comes in a variety of colors. Its most typical use is with chalkboards, but young children do not seem to use it very effectively there. They do better if they can mark on the sidewalk with it—perhaps because the rougher texture of the cement more easily pulls the color off the stick, and the children seem more able to tell what they are doing as they squat down and draw. It is, of course, necessary to explain to them that they may “write” with chalk only on special places. Some young artists apply chalks in separate strokes, letting the color blending take place in the viewer’s eye. Others are not reluctant to blend the colors and do so successfully, although the colors may get muddied. Of course, there is no need to caution children against this; they should be encouraged to explore by rubbing with fingers, cotton swab, or anything available. Most children will select and use chalks easily. Chalk drawing is best done on a paper with a slightly coarse, abrasive surface. This texture helps the paper trap and hold the chalk particles. Many papers have this quality, including inexpensive manila paper.
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So You Think You Know About Pencils...
The humble pencil may seem boring to you. But there are a lot of interesting things about pencils. A few of them follow: The history of the pencil. Lead pencils do not have any lead in them. They are made from clay and graphite. We still call the pencil core the “lead” because the ancient Greeks and Romans drew with thin sticks of lead. Also, the people who first discovered graphite thought it was a kind of lead. Graphite was discovered about 600 years ago in what is now Germany. It gets its name from the Greek word “graphos” meaning “to write.” About 500 years ago the English wrapped graphite in string to make an early pencil. In 1765 a German, Kasper Faber, began making some of the first modern pencils. He put his mixture of clay and graphite into a wooden container to make this now-common tool. Eberhard Faber, Kasper’s great-grandson, was the first person to mass produce pencils in the U.S. in 1861. His name might be stamped on some of your pencils. Making the lead. Clay and graphite are crushed and mixed together. The hardness of the lead depends on how much clay is put in the mixture. The higher number on a pencil, the harder the lead. Most people use a No. 2 pencil. The clay-graphite mixture is poured into wooden forms. The wood in pencils is usually from cedar tree logs. Finally, did you know that… ■ Every year in the U.S. two billion pencils are sold. ■ You can write 45,000 words with an average pencil. ■ That you can draw a line 35 miles long with the average pencil. ■ That you now know more about pencils than the average teacher!
Chalks are brittle and easily broken. They are also impermanent, smearing very easily. Completed works should be sprayed with a “fixative” (ordinary hairspray works well); this should be done with proper ventilation. Chalk strokes can be strengthened by wetting the chalk or paper. Various liquids have also been used with chalks for interesting results. These include dipping the chalk sticks in buttermilk, starch, and sugar water. Liquid tends to seal the chalk, so teachers must occasionally rub a piece of old sandpaper on the end of the chalk in order to break this seal and allow the color to come off again. BRUSH PAINTING MATERIALS 1. Two easels (at least) with two blunt-tipped nails sticking out near each upper corner to attach the paper. (Paper can also be held on the board with spring-type clothespins.) Easels must be at the right height so that a child can paint without stretching or stooping. 2. Sheets of paper (18” x 24” plain newsprint), white or in assorted colors.
3. Three or four jars of tempera paint. These may be mixed with powdered detergent for proper consistency. 4. Paint containers. These must have flat bottoms so they will not tip over easily. Quart milk cartons (cut down) are good since they can be thrown away after using. Also, plastic fruit juice cans with lids work well when unused paint needs to be stored. 5. Large, long-handled brushes in each jar. Those with 12” handles and 43 ” bristle length are easy for young children to use. Soft, floppy, camel-hair brushes allow the child to swoop about the paper most freely. The stiff, flat kind of brush makes it harder to produce such free movements. 6. Smocks. An old shirt with the sleeves cut to the child’s arm length makes a practical smock. Oilcloth or plastic aprons are also good. Extra art smocks can be made easily from either large plastic trash bags or newspaper. Cut openings for the child’s head and arms at the end of a plastic trash bag. 7. A place to dry finished paintings.
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Mixing paint. Although mixing paint in large quantities saves teacher’s time, the children enjoy making it so much, and this is such a good learning experience for them to do, that mixing a fresh batch each day with one or two children helping stir is generally preferred. A surprising amount of tempera is needed in relation to the quantity of water to make rich, bright, creamy paint; thus it is best to put the tempera into the container first and then add water bit by bit. Instead of water, some teachers prefer using liquid starch because it thickens the paint mixture. However, it does increase the expense. It is also helpful to add a dash of liquid detergent, since this makes cleaning up easier. Another hint to easier cleanup is to cut a posterboard to fit the easel and laminate both sides of the posterboard. Tape the laminated posterboard over the easel so that as the students paint on the easel and get ready for the next child, the student can easily wipe off the paint with a damp cloth, rag, or paper towel. It helps the student learn how to cleanup, keeps the center clean, and develops more eye–hand coordination in a fun, cleanup way. At the easel, it may help children to see that if they wipe the brush on the side of the jar the paint does not
drip or run. An adult can show the children that keeping each brush in its own paint jar keeps the color clear. It will expedite matters if several pieces of paper are clipped to the easel at once. Many teachers prefer to write the child’s name on the back of the paper to avoid the problem of having him paint over it. If a developmental portfolio is kept at school for each child, dating a few paintings and saving them delights parents at conference time because it enables them to see how the child’s skills have developed during the year.
Easel painting. With easel painting, teachers like to start with only the three primary colors (red, blue, and yellow) in the beginning of the year and then add others in the second month or so. Each jar of blue tempera paint should be labeled with a strip of blue paper clearly printed BLUE. (Use the same label idea for each color.) Brushes should be thoroughly washed and kept in good condition. Teach the children how to wipe up and wash the art area after its use. At the end of each day, all paintbrushes are washed thoroughly in running water and dried, bristles up, before being put away. Easels and aprons are washed with a wet cloth and soap if necessary. Paint containers
Creative Quiet
Because we have access to so many wonderful creative activities and equipment, as well as vividly illustrated books, colorful toys, and so much inviting play equipment, we may be forgetting to allow time and space for the quiet reflection that children are capable of and need. Here are some suggestions to create quiet for children in your room. ■ Reserve an area of your room, center, or school for those who want to sit quietly. Make sure it is a cozy, comfortable place, and don’t allow noisy distractions or disputes of any kind to enter the quiet place. Keep decoration to a minimum. ■ Don’t decorate every window with paintings. Children love to look out the window and watch rain or snow falling; trucks, cars, and people passing; grass blowing in the wind; or any of the hundreds of other fascinating things that are happening in real time. ■ Change room displays often. Instead of hanging every piece of artwork and every poster, allow space for appreciation of each individual piece. Each of us is more likely to notice and respond to new displays. Children are no exception. Covering the walls with an overabundance of visual messages can cause sensory overload and defeat the purpose. An occasional blank wall or space is restful to the eyes and to the spirit. ■ Find a quiet space for yourself, even if it’s not possible in your workday with children. Find a point in the morning before school begins or in the late afternoon. After school is over, when you can be alone, sit back and be quiet. This can be a restful, as well as rejuvenating, time for you. Teachers as well as children need time and space for quiet reflection.
CHAPTER 11 Program Basics: Goals, Setting Up, Materials, and Strategies
FIGURE 11–10
Many teachers prefer writing the child’s name on the back of the paper to avoid the problem of having to draw over it.
are washed and put away. Leftover paint must be covered with a tight lid or aluminum foil. Aprons and smocks are hung up.
Economy measures. Putting a small amount of paint at a time in a can is one way to avoid waste. Ordering paint in quantity once a year is another way to make money go as far as possible, and if schools combine their orders, sometimes an even lower cost per can is offered. FINGER PAINTING MATERIALS AND USE 1. Paper that has a shiny surface. This can be butcher paper, shelf paper, special finger paint paper, freezer wrap, or glossy gift wrap paper. 2. A water supply to make the paper damp. A damp sponge or rag works best. Water may also be sprinkled directly onto the paper. 3. Finger paint. This can be special finger paint or dry tempera paint mixed with liquid starch or liquid detergent to make a thick mixture. 4. Racks to dry the finished work. Cake-cooling racks work well for this. 5. A smock for each painter. 6. A nearby sink and running water for washing hands and cleaning up or a bucket of soapy water, sponges and paper towels. For finger painting, the tables are covered with linoleum, formica, or plastic, and the children wear smocks. Plenty of paper towels and clean rags are provided. Smooth-surfaced paper is dipped in a pan of water and spread flat on a table.
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The quickest, simplest way to make finger paint is to combine liquid starch with dry tempera. This may be done by pouring a generous dollop of starch onto the paper and then sprinkling it with dry tempera. Alternatively, some teachers like to stir the dry pigment into an entire container of starch base. No matter how the paint is originally prepared, you need to be ready to add more ingredients as the children work. The results to strive for in mixing are rich, brilliant color and sufficient paint to fill the paper completely if the child wishes. Children must be allowed to experiment with the paint as they wish, using their fingers, the palms of the hands, wrists, and arms. Prepared finger paints may be used, or the children may help mix a recipe from Appendix C. If the recipe is used, the mixture may be separated into three or four parts and coloring added—either food color or the powdered tempera used for easel painting. Children like to add their own color; they may use salt shakers containing powdered paint and mix in the color with their fingers. Adding soap flakes (not detergents) to the paint mixture increases variety.
Variations. Another method of finger painting is to cover a table with white oilcloth and let the children work on the oilcloth. The mixture can later be washed off with a hose or under a faucet. This activity is good for all ages. Use waxed paper for a change, instead of regular finger painting paper, because of its transparent quality. A combination of any liquid dishwashing detergent and a dark-colored tempera paint (one part paint, one part soap) can be applied onto waxed paper. Cover the surface evenly so the painter can make a simple design with his fingers. Finger painting without paper is another variation. The children finger paint directly onto plastic trays. When each child finishes, place a piece of paper on top of the finger painting and rub across the back of the paper. Lift the paper from the tray and a print of the finger painting is made. The trays are easily rinsed off in the sink.
PASTING MATERIALS AND USE 1. Small jars of paste. (Or give each child a square of waxed paper with a spoonful of paste on it. This prevents waste.) A wooden tongue depressor is a good tool for spreading the paste, or paste can be spread with the fingers. 2. Sheets of plain or colored manila or construction paper in many sizes.
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Creative Budgeting
Painting supplies can eat up a large part of your budget. The following ideas may help your budget (and maybe your creativity, too!): 1. Individual watercolor sets can be made by pouring leftover tempera paint into egg carton cups. Set them aside to dry and harden. Use the paints with water and brushes just as you would ordinary paint sets. 2. Paint containers need to be sturdy and inexpensive. Here are some ideas for different types of paint containers: ■ Cupcake or muffin tins are excellent for painting with several colors at a time. ■ Egg cartons work well when children are painting with cotton swabs. Cut cartons in thirds to make four-part containers, and pour small amounts of paint into each egg cup. ■ Store liquid tempera in recycled glue or dishwashing liquid bottles. Paint can be squirted quickly and neatly into paint cups from these bottles. ■ Use baby food jars as paint containers. Make a holder for them by cutting circles out of an egg carton lid. An empty six-pack soft drink carton also makes a great tote for baby food jars of paint. ■ When using paint cups, make a nontipping cup holder from an empty half-gallon milk or juice carton. Cut holes along the length of the carton and pop in the cups. ■ Sponges can be good paint holders, too. Cut a hole the exact size of the paint jar or cup in the center of the sponge, then fit the jar/cup in the hole. Besides keeping paint containers upright, the sponges also catch drips. ■ Cotton-ball painting is more fun (and neater) when you clip spring-type clothespins to the cotton balls. Children use the clothespins like handles. The same clothespins can be used when printing with small sponge pieces.
3. Collage materials. Some of these can be paper shapes in different colors, scraps of cloth, feathers, yarn, tinfoil, string, beans, sawdust, bottle caps, buttons, styrofoam packing pieces, rock salt, bits of bark, and any other things that look interesting. 4. Blunt scissors, for both left- and right-handed children. Pasting should be done away from climbing toys, building blocks, and similar large motor activities. All the materials for pasting should be on a shelf at child level. Collage and pasting materials should be placed on a separate table and sorted into shallow containers, such as baskets or clear plastic boxes so that children can readily see the kinds of things that are available and consider how they will look when arranged together. Some children will enjoy tearing and pasting, while others will prefer cutting and pasting. Of course, the children should learn about safety rules for using scissors early in the year. The teacher must also be sure that all young children have only blunt scissors.
Keep paste in small plastic containers or jars. To help children learn to keep lids on jars, mark the bottom and top of each jar with a number or a colored X. The children are shown how to match up the jar with its lid by matching colored Xs or numbers. In this way, children learn to keep the lids on the jars and to recognize numbers and colors as well. Show the children how to rinse out paste brushes and where to return all pasting material. A place to put finished work to dry should be set up. Using common recycled household disposables will make cleanup easier. Aluminum pie tins and frozen food trays are both excellent for holding paint, paste, or glue for table activities. At the end of the activity, you may want to recycle the aluminum. Another way to make cleanup easier after pasting is to fold over the top edges of a large paper bag, then tape the bag to one end of your work table. When the children have finished their projects, scraps can easily be swept off the table into the bag. Then, just toss the bag in the trash.
CHAPTER 11 Program Basics: Goals, Setting Up, Materials, and Strategies
SCRAP ART MATERIALS AND USE 1. Paste, glue, tape, and stapler. 2. Colored tissue paper. 3. Colored sticky tape, gummed circles, stars, and designs. 4. Tempera paint, chalk, crayons, and colored markers. 5. Odds and ends of scrap material—egg cartons, styrofoam pieces, plastic containers and lids, pinecones, feathers, and buttons. For scrap art activities, all material needs to be in good order. This is because this type of activity requires a large supply of materials. A special place is needed for all supplies within the child’s reach and at eye level. Scraps of cloth may be kept in one box with scrap pieces glued on the outside to show the child at a glance what is in the box. Clear plastic shoe boxes are excellent for scrap art storage, as children can easily see the contents. Buttons may be kept in a muffin tin, feathers in a plastic bag, and old bits of jewelry for puppets in a plastic shoe box. The point is to keep each material in a specific place so that it is ready for planned or spontaneous projects. Organizing material in this simple, easy-to-find way helps children learn to work on their own. Having glue, scissors, paper, and all other materials on shelves at the child’s height also encourages independent work. Cleanup time is much easier, too, when the children can see “what goes where” and can reach the places where materials are supposed to go.
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meant to be hardened and possibly painted later, a good place for drying must be set up. Since these objects may take a few days to dry, this place must also be away from frequently used areas. Before starting any three-dimensional projects that require several stages such as molding, drying, and then painting, the teacher must be aware of the children’s interest spans. Some of these projects take longer than other art activities, and some children may lose interest and not finish the project. The teacher must also consider the time needed for preparing the material, making the objects, drying them, and painting them. Then it must be decided if the children’s interest is strong enough to last through the time needed for the whole project. It is an unpleasant experience for both teacher and children when a project is too rushed. This takes the joy out of the activity for all involved.
Potter’s clay. Potter’s clay may be purchased at any art supply store in moist form. This is much easier to deal with than starting with dry powder. It is available in two colors—gray and terra cotta. (Terra cotta looks pretty but stains clothing and is harder to clean up.) Clay requires careful storage in a watertight, airtight container to retain its malleable qualities. When children are through for the day, form it into large balls, press a thumb into it, and then fill that hole with water and replace in container. If oilcloth table covers are used with potter’s clay, they can simply be hung up to dry, shaken well, and put away until next time.
POTTER’S CLAY AND PLAY DOUGH MATERIALS AND USE 1. Potter’s clay or play dough (mixed from the recipe in Appendix C kept in an airtight container. 2. Clay or play dough table. Use a table with a formica top or any table that is easy to clean. (Or use large pieces of plastic spread out on the table, or cut one for each child’s use.) 3. Tools for clay work like toy rolling pins, cookie cutters, spoons, and blunt plastic knives. Working with clay and play dough requires a place away from all active centers such as building blocks, wheel toys, and climbing toys. The tables should be covered with formica or oilcloth to make cleaning easier. Young children also enjoy working with clay on individual vinyl placemats, Masonite boards, burlap squares, or brown paper grocery bags. Newspaper does not work well because when it gets wet, bits of paper may mix with the clay. For clay projects that are
FIGURE 11–11
Creative activities are often a social time.
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Making play dough. Children should participate in making dough whenever possible. If allowed to help make the dough, children learn about measuring, blending, and cause and effect, and also have the chance to work together. The doughs that require no cooking are best mixed two batches at a time in separate deep dishpans. Using deep pans keeps the flour within bounds, and making two batches at a time relieves congestion and provides better participation opportunities. Tempera powder is the most effective coloring agent to add because it makes such intense shades of dough; adding it to the flour before pouring in the liquid works best. Dough can be kept in the refrigerator and reused several times. Removing it at the beginning of the day allows it to come to room temperature before being offered to the children—otherwise it can be discouragingly stiff and unappealing. The addition of flour or cornstarch on the second day is usually necessary to reduce stickiness.
nap time, the children will be quite interested in the qualities of this gelatinous material when they get up. You might even have one or two of them work on scrubbing the pot clean!
WOODWORKING MATERIALS AND USE 1. A bin of soft lumber pieces (leftover scraps of lumber). 2. Supply of nails with large heads. 3. Wooden spools, corks, and twigs. 4. Wooden buttons, string, and ribbons to be nailed to wood or tied to heads of nails already hammered into the wood. 5. Bottle caps. 6. Small-sized real tools. Hammer and nails are best to start with. Saws, screwdrivers, a vise, and a drill may be added later.
Dough variations. All the dough recipes in
7. Workbench.
Appendix C have been carefully tested and are suitable for various purposes. In preschool centers where process, not product, is emphasized, the dough and clay are generally used again and again rather than the objects made by the children being allowed to dry and then sent home. For special occasions, however, it is nice to allow the pieces to harden and then to paint or color them. Two recipes included in Appendix C serve this purpose particularly well: ornamental clay and baker’s dough. For dough to be truly satisfying, children need an abundance of it rather than meager little handfuls, and they should be encouraged to use it in a manipulative, expressive way rather than in a product-oriented way.
8. Sandpaper. 9. A vise or C-clamp placed near the corner of the workbench, flush with the table top. 10. Safety goggles.
Cleanup. For clay cleanup, sponge off tables, mats, and boards. Burlap squares can be stacked and shaken when dry, and grocery bags can be thrown away. Claycaked hands and tools should never be washed in the sink because clay can clog the drain. Instead, have the children wipe off their tools and hands with paper towels, then wash them in a basin filled with soapy water. When the clay particles settle, you can let the soapy water down the drain and throw the sediment in the trash can. Children may rinse their hands in the sink, and the tools may be left to dry on paper towels. The cooked cornstarch recipes are the only ones that are particularly difficult to clean up because they leave a hard, dry film on the pan during cooking. However, an hour or two of soaking in cold water converts this to a jellylike material that is easily scrubbed off with a plastic pot-scrubbing pad. If pans are soaked during
FIGURE 11–12
Woodworking provides children an opportunity to release a good bit of energy.
CHAPTER 11 Program Basics: Goals, Setting Up, Materials, and Strategies
For older children: 11. Screws and screwdrivers—standard & Phillips. 12. Pencils, rulers, and tape measures. 13. Files, planes, levels. 14. Crowbars. Carpentry needs to be done in a special area away from other activities. Provide children plenty of good wood and satisfactory tools. A sturdy workbench of the right height is helpful. The most basic woodworking tools are hammers and saws. The hammers should be good, solid ones— not tack hammers. The saws should be crosscut ones so that they can cut with or across the grain of the wood, and they should be as short as possible. A well-made vise in which to place wood securely while sawing is invaluable. Preferably, there should be two of these, one at each end of the table. (C-clamps can also be used for this purpose and are less expensive, or a board can be nailed to the table while the child saws it, but this leaves the troublesome chore of removing the nails afterward.) Very young children enjoy sawing up the large pieces of styrofoam that come as packing for electronic equipment. Hammering into such material or into plasterboard is also quick and easy and does not require more force than two- and three-year-olds can muster. Older children need plentiful amounts of soft wood to work with. Cabinet shops are a good source for scrap lumber. Only smooth lumber should be used. Pieces of various lengths and sizes add interest. The greater the variety of wood, the greater the challenge for building. An old tree stump is great fun for children to pound countless nails into. Woodworking needs careful adult supervision, since children can easily hurt themselves or each other with a hammer and saw. General guidelines for adult supervision include the following: ■ Stay very close to the woodworking activity. Be within reach of each child. ■ There should be no more than three or four children for one adult to supervise. Only one child at a time should use a saw. ■ Show the children how to saw away from their own fingers and from other children. Show them how to avoid hitting their fingers with the hammer. ■ Hand out nails a few at a time. ■ Never turn your back on the activity for even a few seconds. ■ Make a wall-mounted toolboard to store frequently used tools. (Less-used tools can be stored in a cup-
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board.) The outline of each tool can be marked on the board so children can figure out where to hang each tool. (More woodworking information is found in Chapter 13.)
Some variations for woodworking. ■ Remember to vary the tools the children use as their skill (and self-control) increases. ■ Purchase a variety of nails by the pound, not by the little box, from a hardware store. Children love an assortment of these. They can be set out in small foil pie plates to keep them from getting mixed up. These pie plates can be nailed to a long board to prevent spilling. ■ Offer various kinds of trims to go with woodworking, such as wire, thick, colorful yarn, and wooden spools (with nails long enough to go through the spool). ■ Offer round things for wheels, such as bottle caps, buttons, or the lids of 35mm film containers. ■ Provide dowels of various sizes that will fit the holes made by the different sizes of bits.
SAFETY For all the activities in this chapter and in any art activities for young children, be sure that you are not using any unsafe art supplies. Potentially unsafe art supplies include the following: ■ Powdered clay. It is easily inhaled and contains silica, which is harmful to the lungs. Instead, use wet clay, which cannot be inhaled. ■ Paints that require solvents such as turpentine to clean brushes. Use only water-based paints. ■ Cold water or commercial dyes that contain chemical additives. Use only natural vegetable dyes, made from beets, onion skins, and so on. ■ Permanent markers, which may contain toxic solvents. Use only water-based markers. ■ Instant papier-mâché, which may contain lead or asbestos. Use only black-and-white newspaper and library paste or liquid starch. ■ Epoxy, instant glues, or other solvent-based glues. Use only water-based white glue (Clemens, 1991).
The teacher should: ■ Read labels. ■ Check for age-appropriateness. The Art and Craft Material Institute labels art materials AP (approved product) and CP (certified product) when they are
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safe for young children, even if ingested. These labels are round. A product bearing the square “Health Label” is safe only for children over twelve. Check for ventilation requirements. In most cases, one open window or door is not sufficient ventilation. A list of materials safe for young children is available from the Art and Craft Material Institute, Inc., 715 Boylston Street, Boston, MA 02116. Write to the National Art Education Association, 1916 Association Drive, Reston, VA 22091 for an updated, detailed list of safety guidelines. Know your students. Be aware of students’ allergies. Children with allergies to wheat, for example, may be irritated by wheat paste used in papier mâché. Other art materials that may cause allergic reactions include chalk or other dusty substances, water-based clay, and any material that contains petroleum products. Be aware of students’ habits. Some students put everything in their mouths. (This can be the case at any age.) Others act out or behave aggressively. Use your knowledge of individual students’ tendencies to help you plan art activities that will be safe for all students.
SUMMARY The early childhood art program is a part of the early childhood curriculum in which children have the chance to work with many kinds of materials and techniques. It provides a time and place for children to put together their thoughts, ideas, feelings, actions, and abilities into their own creations. Toddlers are very active and want to explore everything. For this reason, they need materials that are sturdy, practically indestructible, and do not include tiny pieces that might be swallowed. Only a few materials should be put out at a time so toddlers are not overwhelmed by too many choices. Art materials, like crayons, play dough, chalk, and paint, need to be frequently available to toddlers. These materials should be presented under the supervision of an adult to encourage their appropriate use. In setting up art (and all other) centers for toddlers, a teacher should arrange lots of space and clear traffic patterns, since toddlers are prone to falling, grabbing, and running. Young preschool children, two to four years of age, have a limited interest span. Even the most interesting activities hold their interest for only approximately 10 to 15 minutes. Thus, the teacher must plan several activities and alternative activities for this age group. Some appropriate art activities for children of this age are easel and finger painting, printing, collage, crayoning, play dough, making simple puppets, and object sculpture.
Older preschool children and kindergartners (four to six years of age) have begun to develop better small muscle control in the fingers, hands, and wrists. For this reason, they enjoy cutting with scissors, using smaller paintbrushes, and trying out a wide variety of colored markers. All of these activities are also appropriate for middle and upper elementary level students. The objectives of the art program must consider the interest, age, and ability levels of the children. An important goal of the art program is the growth of a child’s creativity and ability to work independently. But the main goal is to let children grow at their own individual rates. Teachers play an important role in the success of the early childhood art program. They must choose the right materials, as well as know the right way to set up and use the materials for each activity.
LEARNING ACTIVITIES A. It is hard to really appreciate the individual merits of the dough recipes unless they are actually available for inspection and experimentation. As a class project, have volunteers make them up and bring them to class to try out. B. Suppose a bad fairy has waved her wand and ruled that you could only select three basic types of creative self-expressive activities to use for a whole year in your preschool. Which three would you select and why? Answer the same question for a group of older children, grades 1–5. C. Suppose that same bad fairy has waved her wand again, and now you are allowed to purchase only paint and glue (no paper even!) for your creative activities. How limiting is this? What self-expressive activities would you actually be able to offer under these circumstances? How might you go about acquiring the necessary free materials to make them possible? Be specific. D. Visit one or possibly several early childhood programs and observe the arts activities. Keep in mind these points in observing: 1. Are the equipment and activities right for the age, ability, and interest levels of the children? 2. Is the area well planned for each activity? 3. Are the children free to make what they want with the material? E. Set up a classroom, real or imagined, for one or more of the following activities: 1. finger painting 2. collage 3. making puppets
CHAPTER 11 Program Basics: Goals, Setting Up, Materials, and Strategies
Consider the following in setting up the activity: 1. location of water source 2. preparation of area 3. preparation of materials 4. preparation of children 5. teacher preparation 6. activity itself 7. cleanup 8. drying and storage space for work in progress or finished F. Draw up a plan of a room setup for art activities for three-, four-, and five-year-olds. 1. Include the following areas: brush and finger papier-mâché work painting crayon and chalk work clay woodworking puppetry scrap art 2. Show on the plan where the following areas would be found: storage space water source(s) child-level shelves light source(s) drying areas G. Ask children what they think is the hardest part about cleaning up. Record their answers. See if there is one thing that is mentioned more than others. Check on the problem to see if it is caused by room setup, supply setup, water source, or something else. H. Go on an odds-and-ends hunt. 1. See how many different kinds of things can be found for use in art projects. Things to look for include spools, styrofoam, feathers, buttons, and foil. 2. Sort the material and store it in the best way possible. Label each container so that children will know what is inside. I. Choose a grade level from grades 1–5. Draw up a room plan for art activities for this grade level. Include the same areas and requested information as in question F above. J. Describe how you would incorporate a space for “creative quiet” as discussed in the “Think About it” box on page 176 for a group of children. Then make plans for a creative quiet time/place for you. Share your ideas with your fellow students.
CHAPTER REVIEW 1. Is the product or the process more important in the art program? Explain your answer. 2. Choose the statements that describe an important purpose of art in the early childhood program:
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a. Art gives the child a chance to try new materials and techniques. b. Art helps the child make perfect artwork. c. The child has a chance to express experiences and feelings. d. The emphasis in art is on continued good experiences with many kinds of materials. e. In art, the child learns how to copy models. f. Learning to judge one’s own work and other children’s work is very important in art. g. Being successful in art helps develop a child’s self-confidence. 3. Select the items that should be included in a list of equipment for each of the following activities: a. Crayoning (a) newsprint or manila paper, 8” x 12” or 12” x 8” (b) lined white paper (c) colored tissue paper, 18” x 24” (d) colored markers in many colors (e) jumbo crayons, unwrapped (f) jumbo crayons, all wrapped b. Chalk work (a) colored chalks, white chalks (b) colored tissue paper (c) paper, wet and dry (d) chalkboard (e) eraser (f) pencils c. Brush painting (a) easels (b) lined 9” x 12” paper (c) newsprint, 18” x 24”, plain or pastel (d) construction paper (e) tempera paint (f) finger paint (g) glue (h) brushes, long (12”) handles and 3/4” bristles (i) smocks (j) a place to dry finished paintings d. Finger painting (a) dull, porous paper (b) shiny-surfaced paper (c) water supply (d) crayons (e) finger paint (f) colored tissue paper (g) smocks (h) racks to dry finished work e. Pasting (a) glue in small jars (b) paste in small jars (c) lined 9” x 12” paper (d) colored tissue paper
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(e) plain or manila construction paper (f) scissors, blunt, left and right types (g) collage materials (h) stapler and staples f. Puppets and scrap art (a) paper bags (b) boxes (c) scissors, paper, paste, paints (d) sticks (e) play dough (f) colored sticky tape (g) cardboard rolls (h) odds and ends (i) airtight container (j) socks and mittens g. Clay and play dough (a) plasticene (b) real clay (c) open containers (d) airtight containers (e) formica-top tables (f) oilcloths (g) paint (h) scissors (i) tools for clay work (j) play dough, purchased (k) play dough, made with help from the children h. Woodworking (a) paint (b) workbench (c) supply of soft lumber pieces (d) bottle caps (e) sandpaper (f) wooden spools, corks, twigs (g) clay (h) supply of nails 4. Choose the answer that best completes each of the following statements describing the basic objectives of the early childhood art program. a. The most basic objective of the art program is to (a) produce the best artists possible. (b) meet the age, ability, and interest levels of the children. (c) fit into the total preschool program. b. Learning to be a creative thinker is (a) more important in the elementary grades than for younger children. (b) not an objective in art. (c) an important objective in art. c. The art program must allow children the freedom to (a) grow at their own individual paces. (b) do anything they please. (c) go against safety rules.
5. Choose the answer that best completes each of
6. 7.
8. 9. 10.
the following statements describing techniques for using material in arts and crafts. a. With very young children, it is best to begin with (a) a great variety of materials. (b) the basic essentials. (c) only small motor activities. b. A teacher must avoid (a) making models for the children to copy. (b) helping the children with the material. (c) giving suggestions at cleanup time. c. Painting work should be done (a) in an area near the quiet activities. (b) in an area away from climbing toys. (c) only if sunlight is available. d. Finger painting works best with (a) dull, porous, dry paper on wood tables. (b) shiny paper on the floor. (c) shiny paper on a table covered with formica or oilcloth. e. It is best to keep pasting supplies (a) out of child’s reach. (b) on a shelf at child-level. (c) in a locked cabinet. f. Scrap art activities require (a) a good deal of organization of supplies. (b) no special order in supplies. (c) a small amount of supplies. g. Woodworking is an activity that (a) needs very little supervision. (b) needs careful adult supervision. (c) is too dangerous for young children. h. In woodworking and all art activities, it is important to encourage children to (a) copy the teacher’s models. (b) copy the ideas of the other children. (c) do what they want with the materials. List some special considerations for setting up art and art-related areas for toddlers. Describe several appropriate art and art-related centers for toddlers, including: a. materials in the center. b. arrangement of materials. c. skills developed in the center. List the skills, interests, and abilities of older preschool children and kindergartners. List appropriate art activities for older preschool children and kindergartners. Choose the answer that best completes each of the following statements describing the skills and abilities of the young preschool child (aged two to four). a. The young preschool child often has (a) better small than large muscle development.
CHAPTER 11 Program Basics: Goals, Setting Up, Materials, and Strategies
(b) better large than small muscle development. (c) good large and small muscle development. b. The interest span for a young preschool child is usually (a) long, more than 20 minutes. (b) short, not more than one minute. (c) short, between 10 and 15 minutes. c. In lesson plans for young preschool children, the teacher plans (a) only one main activity for the whole group. (b) alternative activities for those who have different interests. (c) only challenging activities to stimulate interest. d. Some good art materials for young preschoolers are (a) blunt scissors, wide brushes, and large crayons. (b) narrow brushes, ball-point pens, and clay. (c) Plasticene, play dough, and colored markers.
REFERENCES Clemens, S. G. (1991). Art in the classroom: Making every day special. Young Children, 46, 4–111. Gardner, H. E. (1993). Multiple intelligences. New York: Basic Books. Gardner, H. E. (1999). Intelligence Reframed. Multiple intelligences for the 21st century. New York: Basic Books. Lowenfeld, V., & Brittain, W. L. (1987). Creative and mental growth of the child (8th ed.). New York: Macmillan. Seefeldt, C. (1995, March). Art: A serious work. Young Children, 39–44.
ADDITIONAL READINGS Bredekamp, S., & Copple, C. (1998). Developmentally appropriate practice in early childhood program (Rev. ed.). Washington, DC: NAEYC. Bronson, M. B. (1998). The right stuff for children birth to 8: Selecting play materials to support development. Washington, DC: NAEYC. Daniels, H., & Bizer, M. (1998). Methods that matter: Six structures for best practice classroom. York, ME: Stenhouse. Elliott, M. J. (1998). Great moments of learning in project work. Young Children, 53 (4), 55–59.
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Fisher, B. (1998). Joyful learning in kindergarten (Rev. ed.). Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann. Griffin, C., & Rinn, B. (1998). Enhancing outdoor play with an obstacle course. Young Children, 53(3), 18–23. Hart, C. H., Burts, D. C., & Charlesworth, R. (1997). Integrated curriculum and developmentally appropriate practice. Albany, NY: State University of New York Press. Harwayne, S. (1999). Going public—Priorities and practice at the Manhattan New School. Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann. Jones, E., & Nimmo, H. (1998). Emergent Curriculum. Washington, DC: NAEYC. Kielar, J. (1999). An antidote to the noisy nineties. Young Children, 54 (5), 28–29. Kohl, M. A. (2000). The big messy art book: But easy to clean up! New York: Macmillan. Leithead, M. (1998). Happy hammering…A hammering activity with built-in success. Young Children, 51(3), 12. Lowman, L. H., & Ruhmann, L. H. (1998). Simply sensational spaces; A multi-”s” approach to toddler environments. Young Children, 53 (3), 11–17. National Art Educators Association (NAEA). (1986). Safety in the artroom. Reston, VA: Author. NAEA. (1994). Exemplary art education curricula: A guide to guides (K-12). Reston, VA: Author. Nyman, A. L. (1996). Instructional methods for the artroom. Reston, VA: Author. Routman, R. (1999). Conversations: Strategies for teaching, learning and evaluating. Westport, CT: Heinemann. Torelli, L., & Durret, C. (1995). Landscapes for learning: Designing group care environments for infants, toddlers and 2-year-olds. Berkeley, CA: Torelli/Durret Infant Toddler Childcare. Wien, C. A., & Kirby-Smith, S. (1998). Untiming the curriculum: A case study of removing clocks from the program. Young Children, 53(5), 8–13.
BOOKS FOR CHILDREN PRESCHOOL Chesworth, M. (1999). Touch and feel surprises. Colors. Brookfield, CT: Millbrook. Cooner, D. D. (1998). Barney’s tool box. Boston: Lyrick Publishing. Gibbons, G. (2000). The art box. New York: Holiday House. Gibbons, G. (1988). Tool box. New York: Holiday House. Morris, A. (1998). Tools. New York: Morrow.
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Van Fleet, M. (1995). Fuzzy yellow ducklings: Fold-out fun with textures, colors, shapes, animals. New York: Dial. Wallace, J. W. (1997). Building a house with Mr. Bumble. New York: Candlewick.
KINDERGARTEN–GRADE 3 Begaye, L. S. (1999). Building a bridge. Flagstaff, AZ: Northland. Carroll, C. (1999). How artists see cities: Streets, buildings, shops, transportation. Louisville, KY: Abbeville Press. Cooper, E. (1999). Building. New York: Greenwillow. Johmann, C. A. (1999). Bridges! Amazing structures to design, build and test. Chicago: Williamson Publishing Co. Flanagan, A. K. (2000). Mr. Paul & Mr. Lueke build communities. Chicago: Children’s Press. Korman-Fontes, J. (1999). Tonka building the skyscraper. New York: Scholastic. Klove, L. (2000). Trucks that build. New York: Scholastic. Larouche, G. (1999). Bridges are to cross. New York: Putnam. Martin-James, K. (1999). Building beavers. New York: Lerner. Nelson, E. (1999). Blocks are to build. New York: Paperback Books. Pluckrose, H. (1999). Building a road. New York: Watts. Pluckrose, H. (1999). On a building site. New York: Watts. Steltzer, U. (1999). Building an igloo. New York: Holt.
GRADES 4–5 Alexander, S. H. (2000). Do you remember the color blue? And other questions kids ask about blindness. New York: Penguin.
Bauer, S. (2000). A cat of a different color. New York: Delacorte. Borchard, T. J., & Vannest, W. (1999). Whitney sews Joseph’s many-colored coat: And learns a lesson about jealousy. Chicago: Paulist Press. D’Amato, J., & D’Amato, A. (1966). Cardboard carpentry. New York: Lion Books. Feirer, J. L. (1999). Beginning woodwork. New York: Glencoe/McGraw Hill. Feirer, J. L., & Hutchings, G. R. (1999). Carpentry and building construction. New York: Glencoe/McGraw Hill. Gilmore, R. (2000). Mina’s Spring of colors. London: Fitzhenry & Whiteside, Ltd. Henry, S. (1999). Kids’ art works! Creating with color, design, texture and more. Chicago: Williamson. Jacobs, M. B. (1999). Why do leaves change color? New York: Rosen. LeTord, B. (1999). A bird or two: A story about Henri Matisse. Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdman’s. Levine, S., & Johnstone, L. (1999). The optics book: Fun experiments with light, vision and color. New York: Sterling. Lipe, R. (2000). Color at Ricena’s Pond, (Vol. 2). San Francisco: Hoot N’ Cackle Press. McGuire, K. (1994). Woodworking for kids: 40 fabulous fun and useful things for kids to make. New York: Sterling. Roller, M. (1998). The bat who wore rose-colored glasses. New York: First Books. Shapiro, I. I., Ward, R. D., & Grossman, M.C. (1999). Aries exploring light and color: Filters, lenses and cameras. Watertown, MA: Charlesbridge.
For additional creative activity resources, visit our Web site at www.EarlyChildEd.delmar.com.
TWODIMENSIONAL ACTIVITIES
OBJECTIVES After completing this chapter, you should be able to: 1. Describe the tools, materials, techniques, and strategies involved in the twodimensional activities of picture making, printmaking, and collage. 2. Define collage. 3. Discuss scissoring skills and related materials and techniques.
U
sing as a framework the basic information presented thus far on developmental levels, creativity, aesthetics, and planning and implementing creative activities, let us now take a closer look at the general processes of picture making, printmaking, and collage. You will note that this chapter has a different format from preceding chapters. This is because this and all of the activity chapters within this text are designed to be used with children, not only as a reference. Since this entire chapter is meant to be used as a guide to activities for children, no separate chapter end activities are included. Also, specific ages are not listed for the activities, since all of the activity chapters are designed to be springboards for art experiences and not strictly limited to certain age groups. You will, however, find the developmental information provided in the previous sections helpful in determining which activities to initiate with children. Children’s reactions to the suggested activities will determine the appropriateness of the choice. Their interest, enthusiasm, and ability to do the activity should be your guide to each activity’s appropriateness.
PICTURE MAKING The term picture making in this chapter refers to any and all forms of purposeful visual expressions, beginning with controlled scribbling. A common error associated with picture making is to equate it with artwork that contains recognizable objects or figures. Yet children’s pictures (artwork) may take any form, just as long as the child is expressing herself visually in a nonrandom way. To young children, the act of drawing and painting comes naturally. It is a means by which they communicate visually their ideas and feelings about themselves and their world. They may work in paint, crayon, or chalk; each material has its own distinct characteristics for the child to explore. The sensitive teacher understands and appreciates the charm and freshness of children’s early drawings and paintings. He motivates children by helping them recall their experiences and record these in art media. Because he respects their individuality, the teacher
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inspires and encourages each child to express his or her own personal reactions about the world as they understand it. In this way, children discover and build their own unique style of expression. Each child’s picture is different from the others in the class, just as her appearance and personality are different. When properly motivated the child eagerly examines materials and looks forward to proceeding with the activity. A successful experience is one in which each child is inspired to express his own ideas through painting. Most young children are eager to express themselves in their drawings. However, some children may need more encouragement than others to express themselves in drawings. Also, sometimes a few motivating ideas from the teacher can liven up a child who seems to be less motivated than usual. Reading a familiar story or singing a song can stimulate art. Such stimulation is most successful when children are able to associate themselves with the story, poem, or song. They might be asked to think about the character they liked the best, a new ending for the story, or the part that frightened them or pleased them the most, and to draw or paint what they thought. There are many ways of motivating that awaken the child to the world of color, shape, size, texture, action, and mood. Some of the following ideas may help stimulate children’s spontaneity and experimentation:
sees thing differently (nonrealistic use of color included). ■ Offer cast-offs and found materials which can be used as accessories or tools for artwork. Children will find a variety of ways to create with them. For example, they will use buttons for stringing, glued designs, wheels on toys, eyes for a puppet, or as shapes for print making. ■ Add new materials that match the group’s interest at particular times. Children who live in snowy areas may need lots of white paint. Temperate spring seasons will stimulate use of pastel colors. Gold and silver papers will spark experimentation with holiday decorations. Furry fabrics will intensify interest in animals and pets. ■ Make papers available in many kinds, shapes, and colors. The variety will lead to more responses and experimentation with techniques.
■ Take a walking trip employing careful observation.
PAINTING WITH A BRUSH
■ On the trip, gather a collection of objects for a “touch-and-see” display.
Painting with a brush encourages the spontaneous use of color. Finger painting, which was covered in Chapter 11, is another form of painting that is enjoyable for children.
■ Put up an interesting bulletin board or case display of children’s and your artwork. ■ Dramatize stories, animals, birds, etc. ■
to music and stories.
■ Encourage children to try using materials in different ways if children do not discover them on their own. For example, you might say, “I wonder if the back and side of the crayon will make the same kinds of marks as the pointed end?” ■ Exhibit sincere pleasure when a discovery is announced and share it with others in the group. ■ Share your own discoveries spiritedly as you work along with the children. ■ Encourage children to bring materials from home to incorporate into their art. ■ Share the works of several artists which represent the same or similar theme. This will help children understand that they can draw in many different ways. ■ Display the work of each child at some time during the year and call attention to the fact that everyone
Children’s growing awareness is gradually reflected in their pictures as the ability to interpret their environment increases. As the process continues the teacher and children can evaluate their progress and consider how pictures may be varied, different media to use, and any other changes the children suggest.
Materials. Basic materials for painting with brushes include the following: ■ Watercolor paint sets. These are actually dehydrated tempera colors in concentrated cakes. They provide easy and convenient paint for individual use or group activity in the classroom. To use paints in cakes: Place a few drops of water on the surface of each cake of color to moisten the paint. Dip brush in water and brush surface of moistened cake of paint to obtain smooth, creamy paint. To use powder paint (tempera): Fill a can one-fourth full of dry paint. Add water slowly, stirring constantly until the paint has the consistency of thin cream. A small amount of liquid starch or liquid detergent may be added to the mixture as a binder. Use enough paint to make good rich colors. For best results, prepare paint when needed; large amounts kept over a period of time have a tendency to sour. Containers for use with powder paint include milk cartons, juice cans, baby food jars, coffee cans, plastic cups, and
CHAPTER 12 Two-Dimensional Activities
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■
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■ FIGURE 12–1
A variety of brush sizes needs to be available for children’s use.
cut-down plastic bottles. A set of paints can be carried easily if containers are placed in tomato baskets, soft-drink carriers, boxes, or trays (See Figure 12–2). Individual pieces of paper, at least 12” x 18”: roll paper, manila paper, newspaper, wallpaper, newsprint, freezer paper. Water containers for painting and rinsing brushes: coffee cans, milk cartons, juice cans, cut-down plastic bottles. Half-gallon plastic containers with handles (the kind used for liquid bleach) are light and can be filled to carry water during the painting lesson. Paper towels or scrap paper for blotting brushes while painting. Newspapers to protect painting area. Painting may be done on paper covered tables, desks, pinned to a bulletin board, fastened to a chalkboard, or on the floor if protected with newspaper. A bucket of child-sized moist sponges for cleanup.
See Figure 12–2 for additional hints on painting materials.
Art Tool Holder Heavy paper, folded several times, will make a holder that keeps tools from rolling. Also good for drying cleaned paintbrushes. Drying Rack Drying racks for wet artwork are ideal if space is at a premium. A number of wooden sticks of the same size tacked or stapled to pieces of corrugated cardboard of the same size will make a drying rack. If pieces of wood are not available, substitute two, three, or four pieces of corrugated cardboard taped together. Tape stacked pieces to the cardboard base. Paint Container Paper milk cartons stapled together (with tops removed) and with a cardboard handle make an ideal container for colored paint and water.
Paint Dispensers Plastic mustard or ketchup containers make good paint dispensers. An aluminum nail in the top of each will keep the paint fresh. in some cases the plastic containers can be used for painting directly from the container. Syrup pitchers make good paint dispensers and are ideal for storing paint. Plastic Spoons Keep plastic spoons in cans of powdered tempera for easy paint dispensing. FIGURE 12–2
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Some helpful hints for storing and handling painting materials.
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CARE AND STORAGE OF MATERIALS ■ Lay paintings horizontally to dry before stacking. An unused floor space along the wall is suitable for this purpose. (See Chapter 11 and Figure 12–2 for directions on making a drying rack.) ■ Wipe paint sets clean with paper toweling. They can be stored conveniently in a cardboard carton. ■ Rinse brushes in clean water, blot, gently point bristles, and leave to dry standing upright in a container. ■ Clean brushes after each use. Neglect will cause the brush to lose its shape. Never rest a brush vertically on its bristles. Suspend it, if possible; if not, rest it on its side.
Processes. Painting with brushes may require some demonstration of the following techniques: ■ How to prepare paint trays for use. A drop or two of water is placed in each paint color to moisten it. ■ How to use a variety of brush strokes. Encourage children to paint directly, using full free strokes. Use the point, side, and flat surface of the brush. Try wide lines, thin lines, zigzag lines, and dots and dabs. ■ How to mix colors on the paper as they paint. Try dipping one side of the brush in one color, the other side in a second color to blend paint in one stroke. ■ How to create textures. Paint with bits of sponge, crushed paper or cloth, cardboard, string, sticks, or an old toothbrush. A stiff brush with most of the paint removed creates interesting textural effects. ■ How to handle excess paint or water on a brush. ■ How to clean paint trays. ■ How to rinse and dry brushes.
expression over the year. (See Chapter 11 for information on tempera paint and Chapter 10 for the use of portfolios.) CRAYONS Most young children are introduced to using crayons before starting school. (See Chapter 11 for further information on crayons.
Materials. Crayon drawings may be done on a wide assortment of surfaces, such as newsprint, wrapping paper, newspaper, construction paper, corrugated board, cloth, and wood. This is an ideal medium for all children; it is bold, colorful, clean, and inexpensive. Crayons work well on most papers. They do not blend well; when attempts are made to do this, the wax often “tears.” Crayons can be applied thinly to produce semitransparent layers of subtle color, and these layers can be coated with black crayon and scratched through for crayon etchings.
Processes. Encouraging children to experiment with crayons and to explore the use of different parts of the crayon leads to their discovery of new methods that satisfy the needs for expression. The wax crayon has great versatility and can be used in many different ways: The best way to get bright, rich color from the crayon and onto the paper is by pressing hard. A cushion sheet placed underneath the drawing will assist children in creating bright colors easily.
MORE PAINTING HINTS ■ Thicken easel paint with liquid starch to cut down on drips. ■ To help paint stick better to slick surfaces such as foil, waxed paper, styrofoam, or plastic, mix dry tempera with liquid soap. ■ To keep paints smelling fresh and sweet, add a few drops of mint extract or oil of wintergreen or cloves. ■ For an added sensory experience, try adding lemon flavoring to yellow paint, mint to green, vanilla to white, and peppermint to red paint. You might want to caution the children not to taste the paint, especially with younger children. ■ Keep dated examples of each child’s work through the year in the child’s portfolio, to reflect the growth and development in creative expression. The children will enjoy seeing their progress in control and
FIGURE 12–3
Crayon drawings are one of the most popular two-dimensional art activities.
CHAPTER 12 Two-Dimensional Activities
FIGURE 12–4
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Two-dimensional drawing activities are appropriate for elementary level children.
■ Make thin lines with the point of the crayon, heavy lines with the blunt end or side of the crayon. ■ Vary the pressure to create subtle tints or solid, brilliant colors. ■ Make rough texture by using broken lines, dots, jabs, dashes, and other strokes with the point. ■ Create smooth texture by using the flat side or by drawing lines close together in the same direction with the point. ■ Twist, turn, swing the crayon in arcs, and move it in various ways to achieve different effects. ■ Repeated motions create rhythm. Avoid using coloring books or ditto sheets. Children who are frequently given such patterns to color are in fact being told that they and their art are inadequate. A pattern of a dog for children to color says to them— more clearly than words could—that “This is what your drawing should look like; this is the RIGHT way to make a dog” (Seefeldt, 1995). Instead of dittos and coloring books, provide children a variety of art supplies, media, large blocks of time and the freedom to work at one’s developmental level. The crayon offers new areas of creative interpretation when used in combination with other materials: ■ Use crayon and white chalk on colored construction paper. ■ Make a crayon rubbing by placing shapes or textures under paper and rubbing over the surface. ■ Make a crayon resist by first drawing in brilliant color, then cover the drawing with watercolor paint. ■ Paint a colorful background, allow to dry, and then draw directly over the painted surface with chalk or crayon. ■ Use white crayon underneath a color to make a brighter color.
FIGURE 12–5
Scissoring is a developmental skill.
■ Use craypas (oil pastel crayons) on colored construction paper. Apply the oil pastels thickly to get rich colors. SCISSORING SKILLS The use of scissors is in itself a separate skill that children must master. For a comprehensive discussion of scissoring as a developmental skill, see Children and Scissors: A Developmental Approach (Moll, 1985). This section is based on this excellent source. The skill of using scissors is actually made up of a sequence of scissoring skills, beginning as early as age two, in a child’s first attempts at tearing. Tearing is a necessary pre-scissoring skill. Young children require lots of
FIGURE 12–6
Children need good-quality scissors when they are working on scissoring skill development.
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experience with random tearing in order to develop the necessary fine motor skill for controlled tearing. Controlled tearing is quite different from random tearing, requiring more fine motor control and purpose than simple random tearing. To aid young children’s tearing activities, provide a variety of lightweight papers, as well as other materials like old cloth, packing materials, lettuce, and leaves. Before actually teaching scissor cutting, a review of each child’s skill level is necessary. Informal observation of children during routine activities can give clues about their readiness for scissoring. The following skills and knowledge are all required for cutting with scissors: 1. Knowledge of body parts. This includes not only knowing the names for parts of the body, but also the position of body parts (hand and fingers go together) and the position of body parts in space (head above shoulders). 2. Bilateral integration. The ability to perform activities requiring both sides of the body working together, such as hopping, skipping, and walking on a line. 3. Use of hands in three ways. The use of hands unilaterally, reciprocally, and bilaterally. a. Unilateral. One hand is required to do the job. (Examples: patting, reaching, grasping.) b. Reciprocal. Both hands are required to do the task. Each hand is doing the same task. (Examples: pulling up, hugging, and clapping.) c. Bilateral. The use of both hands is required. Each hand is performing a separate task for a common outcome. (Examples: buttoning, cutting, and shaking hands.)
oped muscle strength to cut more easily. The flexibility of the plastic allows either right- or left-handed children to use the scissors. For initial cutting experience, use 5” blunt-nosed scissors. Be sure to have left- and right-handed scissors. As children gain control over the tool, they may move to 5” clip-point scissors. Frequently check blade sharpness and screw adjustments. The ease with which scissors cut makes a great difference in a child’s success in cutting activities. Safety should be an initial concern when teaching the use of scissors and should be thoroughly discussed. Children must learn to hold scissors safely when walking or handing them to another. Scissors should be held firmly by the closed blades, with the points sticking out of the closed fist just enough to prevent jabbing the body, and yet far enough out to prevent jabbing the hand in case of a fall. Children should also learn to be aware of where their scissors are in relation to their bodies. Incidental waving or pointing should be considered a misuse of the scissors. Children need to realize the dangers involved when using scissors and have a respect for the proper use of the tool. When this is understood by a child, his selfconcept becomes more positive in two ways. First, knowing he is trusted to use the tool properly gives him a “grown-up” feeling. Second, the doors to self-expression are opened wider for him when using this “grownup” creative tool. Young children learning to cut need an ample supply of paper. Scrap paper donated by offices, friends, and local printers can be recycled to provide enough for scissoring. For first snipping practice, a fairly stiff paper that will not bend over the blades—like construction paper—is the most desirable. As the children’s skills increase,
4. Prehension The development of a preferred hand grasp. This means a definite preference for right- or left-handedness. 5. General motor development. This includes both fine and gross motor control. 6. Eye–hand coordination. The eyes and hands work together at levels of both fine and gross motor coordination. When the child has mastered all of the above requisites, learning the art of cutting with scissors can begin. In learning scissoring, the quality of the tool plays an important role. Poor quality scissors present unnecessary frustrations to children learning to cut. Quality scissors are made of forged steel, have an adjustment screw, and may have rubber-coated handles. Plastic scissors with reinforced metal blades will cut some paper, while allowing a child with underdevel-
FIGURE 12–7
Middle and upper elementary level children enjoy working with two-dimensional media, perfecting skills learned in earlier years.
CHAPTER 12 Two-Dimensional Activities
lighter papers like newsprint, magazine pages, and computer paper, as well as cloth and other materials should be provided. Scissors appropriate for cutting these materials also should be made available to the children. About every three months, have a scissors cleaning time. Wash the blades with soap and dry them; then put a drop of sewing machine oil at the screw joint to insure a smoother and longer cutting life. Cutting through a fine grade of folded sandpaper with the scissors will help sharpen the blades (Moll, 1985).
PASTING Paste serves a functional purpose, and its properties also make it a valuable medium for creative expression. The stickiness, texture, odor, and changes that take place as paste is used provide children with opportunities for many discoveries. When a young child picks up paste in her hands, she will almost automatically spread it over her fingers and squeeze it or roll it between her fingers and feel its stickiness. Before long, she spreads paste over her hands, sometimes even rubbing it into her palms. As paste dries, a child feels a different sensation. When she begins to wash her hands, the paste is transformed from hard to sticky to slimy, a phenomenon of great interest to a child. Paste is a medium that can stimulate her to repeated explorations of the properties of matter. Given sufficient paste and a piece of paper, a child almost invariably smears the paste on the paper as though it were finger paint. He moves his hand across the page with sweeping motions. In some places on the paper he smooths the paste until it is slick and shiny. In other places he forms lumps of paste and then enjoys pressing down on the lumps to smooth them out. The paste-smeared paper becomes an artistic creation for him. Having explored paste in this manner, a child reaches for small pieces of paper and pastes piece upon piece, using large quantities of paste in the process. He is excited by what he can accomplish with the medium. When he attempts to lift the mound of paper he has created, very often the paper tears. He discovers that paste is heavy. Adults should avoid instructing children on the uses of paste and allow them to make their own discoveries. Eventually a child will begin to create a collage, arranging random shapes of varied colors on large paper. At first she pays no attention to design but will later learn to carefully arrange the pieces to achieve a balance that is pleasing to her. By adult standards, it may appear that the amount of paste children use is exorbitant, but their explorations
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are limited if they cannot have as much paste as they need. Although most paste for children is nontoxic, a teacher should be certain that the commercial paste used in the classroom is safe, because children put paste in their mouths. Paste can also be child and/or teacher-made. (See Appendix C for paste recipes.)
TORN PAPER AND PASTING
Materials ■ Kinds of paper: construction paper, wallpaper, gift wrappings, metallic paper, tissue paper, newspaper, illustrated magazine pages ■ For mounting: newsprint, construction paper, cardboard, wallpaper, newspaper (classified ad pages), cardboard box lids ■ Paste, glue, scissors, brushes
Process ■ Demonstrate cutting and tearing paper shapes. ■ Have the children cut and tear paper shapes. ■ Show a variety of papers different in color and texture and encourage children’s suggestions on how to use them. ■ Demonstrate pasting the torn pieces to the background. ■ Torn paper creates a textured edge. Cut edges appear smooth.
FIGURE 12–8
Two-dimensional art activities can be integrated into all of the elementary curriculum areas.
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■ In tearing paper, greater control of the paper is achieved by tearing slowly with fingers close together. ■ Encourage children to choose light and dark colors for interesting contrast and different sizes or shapes and a variety of papers for textural effects. ■ Paper shapes can be overlapped or grouped to produce new shapes and new combinations of colors and textures. ■ Cut paper can be textured by wrinkling, crumpling, slitting, and folding out. Older children who have mastered scissoring skills will enjoy cut paper activities. Some suggestions for working with cut paper artwork are: ■ Encourage children to think about the shape of an object and its edges before cutting. ■ Plan the composition. Cut the big, important shapes first. Cut details, patterns, and textures later. Glue last. ■ Use a variety of shapes. Repeat shapes and change their size for variety. Repeat colors by changing their intensity or value for variety. ■ Create textured areas by folding, fringing, pleating, curling, and weaving the paper. ■ Overlap shapes to give depth and distance to a cut paper composition. Create distance in cut paper by working from the background forward. ■ Glue small shapes, details, patterns, and textures to larger shapes before gluing them to the background. ■ Glue around the outside edge of the shapes, not over the entire back of the shape. ■ Create identical shapes by folding the paper once and remembering that the fold is the middle of the shape. ■ Use positive and negative shapes in the composition. The positive shape is the cut shape. The remaining paper is the negative shape. ■ Use the lightest colors first when creating with tissue paper. Cut and arrange all the big important shapes before gluing. Change the arrangement of the shapes until a pleasing composition is found.
Suggested projects ■ Paper collage: Use papers of various textures, colors, sizes, and shapes to create a design or picture. See section on collage later in this chapter. ■ All-over design: Cut or tear related shapes of different sizes and colors to form a design. ■ Cut-paper mural: Select a topic. Each child may cut shapes and combine them in a group mural. ■ Three-dimensional picture: Parts of the picture may be modeled, curled, fringed, or fastened only at the
FIGURE 12–9
Working with two-dimensional media can involve a child’s full attention.
edges to allow them to protrude from the background. Objects can pop out of the picture by attaching a paper spring on the back. ■ Pasting can involve anything and everything that can be stuck to paper, wood, cardboard, or together: tissues, scraps, corks, feathers, popcorn, styrofoam pieces, yarn, paste, colored paste, white paste, even pasting with glue on brushes or glue on figures. MURALS A storytelling picture or panel intended for a large wall space is called a mural, another form of picture making. A suitable topic for a mural may come from children’s personal experiences at home, at school, or at play, or it may relate to other school subjects. In the classroom, mural making is a versatile art activity; it may involve a large group or just a few children, depending on the size of the mural. It may require a variety of materials or just one or two. With young children, it should be a simple, informal, spontaneous expression with a minimum of preplanning. Tedious planning destroys much of the intuitive quality and reduces interest. In contrast, older children will enjoy planning a group mural almost as much as making it.
Materials kraft paper roll paper wallpaper crayons paint water and container
paste newspapers collage materials brushes scissors colored construction paper
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Using Chalk in Picturemaking
Don’t overlook the creative possibilities of chalk as a medium for young children’s drawing and picture making. Here are some creative ways to use chalk. ■ Texture: Place thin paper, such as copy paper or tracing paper, over a surface with a unique texture like sandpaper, bricks, corrugated cardboard. Then rub over the paper with the side of the chalk so that the texture of the model appears. Numerous textures can be used for many interesting effects. ■ Chalk on wet paper: Using colored chalk on wet paper (construction paper or toweling), glide the chalk over the damp surface to give a flowing motion to the drawing. This process provides bold and colorful pictures. ■ Starch and chalk: Pour a small amount of liquid starch on a sheet of paper. Dip the colored chalk in the starch and create a unique art experience. ■ Wet chalk: Soak chalk in water for several minutes before using it on a dry surface. The wet chalk can be used on windows, paper, ceramic surfaces, and numerous other slick areas. This chalk medium reacts much like a finger painting activity and provides a leaded glass appearance. ■ Chalk sand painting: Place sawdust or sand with chalk shavings mixed with tempera paint in a bowl of water (just enough water to cover), stir and allow to dry overnight. The following day apply liquid glue, paste, or starch on construction paper, posterboard, or cardboard. Sprinkle colored sand or sawdust over the glued or starched areas to create a sand painting. Outlining the details of the picture creates interesting effects.
Processes ■ Watercolor paint allows for spontaneous bold design and brilliant color, ideal for murals. ■ Cut or torn paper is a flexible medium suitable for murals, permitting many changes and parts as the mural progresses. Other techniques for manipulating paper are folding, curling, pleating, twisting, fringing, and overlapping. Place background paper on a bulletin board, then plan, pin, and move parts before attaching. Various papers such as tissue, wallpaper, illustrated magazine pages, and metallic paper add interest. Topics for group murals are limited only by the imagination of the children. Providing children a variety of experiences both in and out of the classroom will stimulate them to express their ideas visually in a mural. Sometimes an ordinary group discussion will nudge children to become interested in creating a mural.
PRINTMAKING Long before they enter the classroom, most children have already discovered their footprints or handprints,
made as they walk or play in snow or wet sand. Relief prints are created in a similar manner. An object is pressed against a flat surface to create a design that may be repeated over and over again. Generally, the process of relief printing consists of applying paint to an object and pressing it onto the paper. Techniques range from a simple fingertip printing to carving a styrofoam plate and printing with it. Emphasis should be on the free manipulation of objects and experimentation with color, design, and techniques. The teacher may begin by encouraging children to search for objects from the home or classroom. Household items, kitchen utensils, hardware, discarded materials, and many objects of nature are useful in relief printing. Gradually, the child learns to look and discover textures, colors, and patterns that exist all around her. In their first attempts to organize shapes into a design, young children usually work in a random fashion. Preliminary experiments help them develop a better understanding of the printmaking process and of the possibilities for variety of design.
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HELPING CHILDREN GET STARTED IN PRINTMAKING The following suggestions are some ways to introduce printmaking activities. ■ Paint hands and feet and then “print” them on paper as a natural beginning to printmaking. ■ Children may observe and discuss examples of repeat design in clothing, wrapping paper, and wallpaper in which objects appear again and again, up and down, across the whole material. ■ Children print repeat designs using found objects, such as a sponge, rubber eraser, stick, and bottle cap, or natural materials, such as leaves, twigs, stones, and bark. ■ In potato printing, carve out a section of the potato, making simple designs on the flat surface by notching the edges or carving holes with dull scissors, split tongue depressors, or a small plastic knife. Older
children are able to carve with a plastic knife, but younger children will require teacher assistance. ■ The creative teacher demonstrates any necessary processes of using materials and tools without dictating what the final product will look like. She provides stimulation and guidance in the use of children’s original ideas and encourages children to experiment with various objects and techniques. Gradually, through their printmaking experiences, children discover for themselves the following: ■ The amount of paint needed to obtain clean edges. ■ The object must be painted each time it is printed. Print by pressing slowly and firmly. ■ The amount of pressure needed to get a print. ■ How the shape and texture of an object determine the shape and texture of the print. ■ How to repeat a print over and over to create a design.
Talking with Children about Their Art
There is a right way to respond to children’s art—whether it be painting, crayon drawings, or any other medium. A correct response is one that stimulates more and complex uses of the medium. Comments should focus on the use of the various elements of the artwork as well as on the feeling, mood, and ideas evoked. Descriptive, nonjudgmental remarks are best: ■ Right Way: “Claire is using color on all parts of the paper, while Mark is keeping big spaces around his colors.” ■ Wrong Way: “I like how Claire’s painting is neater than Mark’s.” Do not ask, “What did you paint?” This question implies that the only purpose of art is to communicate verbally a story or piece of information. The only logical answer to such a question is, “I painted a painting.” Another caution: Don’t ask children in advance what they plan to create. Painting and drawing are visual thinking. Asking children to verbalize their ideas just prior to the art of creating is an interruption and an inhibitor of their visual thinking. A further caution, especially with very young children: Refrain from asking them the names of the colors they are using in their artwork. Colors are important only in how they act upon one another and upon other elements within the artwork. To quiz a child on color names during a creative painting session transforms the aesthetic experience into an academic experience. Such an intrusion is as inappropriate as interrupting an exciting conversation to ask the child how to spell a word. As a final caution, refrain from undue emphasis on neatness, either in the process or the product. Neatness is not a requirement for aesthetically pleasing work and, if stressed inappropriately, may become a hindrance to creativity (Christoplos & Valletutti, 1990).
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PRINTMAKING MATERIALS Materials for printmaking may include the following: ■ Paint. Any of the following are suitable: tempera paint in sets of eight colors, powder paint in a thin mixture, food coloring, water-soluble printing ink. ■ Stamp pad. Discarded pieces of felt or cotton cloth inside a jar lid, cut-down milk carton, frozen food tin, or similar waterproof container saturated with color. ■ Paper. Absorbent papers suitable for printing include newsprint, manila paper, wallpaper, tissue, construction paper, classified pages of the newspaper, plain wrapping paper, paper towels. Avoid using paper with a hard slick finish because it does not absorb paint and ink well. ■ Cloth. Absorbent pieces of discarded cloth can also be used to print on, such as pillow cases, sheets, men’s handkerchiefs, old shirts, and napkins. ■ Other items. Newspaper for covering tables, brushes for applying paint when not using a stamp pad, cans for water. PRINTMAKING TECHNIQUES The following are some common printmaking techniques suitable for young children.
FIGURE 12–10
Finger painting is a popular two-dimensional activity for young children.
Found object printing. With a few familiar objects, such as forks, spools, sticks, buttons, bottle tops, some paper, paint, and a brush, children can learn to print their own designs. Objects of nature such as leaves, weeds, seeds, and stones can be used similarly.
Fingerprints. Get a sheet of newsprint. Press one of your fingers onto a stamp pad or onto a tray filled with thickened tempera. Press your finger onto the newsprint. Experiment. Use different fingers, singly or in combinations, etc. Add details with markers and crayons.
Vegetable printing. Cut a potato, carrot, or other firm vegetable into sections for ease of handling. Keep the design simple, avoiding thin lines. Older children can draw the design on the flat cut surface and carve the design about 1⁄4-inch deep, leaving the area desired to be printed. Paint the raised part of the design and press on paper or cloth.
Monoprinting. To create a monoprint, apply paint to paper. Carefully place a sheet of paper over the painting and rub smoothly from the center out to the edge. If desired, children can draw in crayon on the top sheet of
paper, pressing the lines into the paint on the bottom sheet. Pull the print gradually, starting from one corner.
Styrofoam prints.
Get a flat piece of styrofoam. Draw a picture or design using permanent markers. These markers will dissolve the foam. Use a brush or sponge to apply a thin layer of tempera to the surface of the tray. Place a piece of construction paper over the tempera. Rub. Another way to print with styrofoam is to make a pattern, picture, or design by squeezing glue onto the styrofoam. After the glue has dried, tempera paint is applied to the entire surface. Place a piece of construction paper over the paint and rub. Because this is a two-step process, it is more appropriate for children in the middle and upper elementary grade levels. Pieces of styrofoam can also be used as printing plates by cutting them into shapes and pasting them on a background. The same applies to heavy cardboard. Older children as we have seen in chapter 11, continue to refine their creative skills throughout the elementary grades. In printing experiences, children in the middle and upper elementary levels are usually able to use a brayer (an ink roller) with a printing plate. Brayers in various sizes can be purchased at art supply
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Bits of History— Art Materials
You might like to know a little about the history behind some of the familiar art media you use with children. Here are bits of history on these everyday materials: Chalk—The original chalks for drawing, some still in use today, were pure earth, cut and shaped into implements. The addition of a binder created a fabricated chalk that we know today as a pastel chalk. Chalks used by the early master painters were generally limited to reds (sanguine), black, and white. Crayons—Of the many art materials, probably none is more familiar than wax crayons. The fact that most of us were introduced to them at a tender age may influence us to think that they are beneath the dignity of more mature artists. Such is not the case; examples abound of distinguished drawings executed in this humble medium (Miro and Picasso, for example). Examples of the use of crayons begin in the nineteenth century. Crayons consist of an oily or waxy binder impregnated with pigments or color. Records exist of a variety of prescriptions for binders, involving soap, salad oil, linseed oil, spermaceti, and beeswax. Ink—The earliest ink known, black carbon, was prepared by the early Egyptians and Chinese. This was followed by iron-gall (made from growths on trees), bistre (burnt wood), and sepia (a secretion from cuttlefish). Today, there is a wide variety of inks available, but the best known is India ink, which is really a waterproof carbon black. Pens—Those of us who take for granted our familiar metal pen points of various kinds may not realize that they are fairly new, not having been successfully developed until the last century. Until that time, the reed pen had been the pen of the ancients, and the quill pen was the principal instrument from the medieval period to modern times. Most of us probably remember the use of quill pens in the drawings of Rembrandt and in the historical documents drawn up by the founders of our Republic. Brushes—Bristle is obtained from the body of hogs and boars found in Russia, Japan, Formosa, Korea, France, and Central and Eastern Europe. While all animal hair has “points,” bristle has “flags.” The individual bristle splits into two or three tiny forks on the end, which are called “flags.”
stores. The brayer is rolled in a shallow pan filled with a small amount of water-soluble ink or tempera paint. A metal or plastic tray or small cookie sheet works well for this. The child rolls the brayer over the ink to spread an even coat on the brayer. Then the ink-coated brayer is rubbed over the printing plate (example: a cut out design on styrofoam) until the whole surface is covered with ink. It works best to roll the brayer in one direction, then in another at right angles. The child then places paper on top of the inked plate and presses it down gently with the palm of the hand. Then, she rubs the back of the paper with the fingertips or the back of a spoon, being sure to cover all areas including the edges. Finally, the child pulls the paper away from the block. This is called “pulling the print.” Now the print is ready to dry. Some hints for working with older children and printing with brayers are: ■ Set up three printing centers in a classroom. You may want to use a different color of ink at each cen-
ter, keeping it neat and well stocked with paper and ink. ■ As students are ready to print, they go to a center and roll the ink on their blocks with the brayer. They take their inked blocks and papers to their desks and do the actual printing there. This will prevent long lines at the centers. ■ For clean up, drop a folded piece of newspaper in the pan filled with ink. Roll the brayer on the newspaper. This will remove a great deal of the ink from both the pan and the brayer. Unfold the newspaper and refold it with the dirty side inside. Crumple and throw away the newspaper. Once most of the ink is out of the pan, it is easy to rinse both it and the brayer at the sink.
Paper stencils. The four- to five-year-old can begin to use stencils in a most creative manner. Each child is given four or five pieces of drawing paper
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about four inches square. With scissors, the child cuts holes of various sizes and shapes in the center of each piece. It is a good idea to cut more than one hole per piece. When the holes have been cut, each child is given a tissue, small piece of cotton, or patch of cloth. This is rubbed on a piece of colored chalk to pick up enough dust to stencil. Then the child selects a shape and places it on the paper on which the design is to go. The child rubs the tissue across the hole, making strokes from the stencil paper toward the center of the opening. This is continued around the edge of the opening until the paper under the stencil has a clear print. The same shape can be continued across paper, or other shapes and colors may be added according to the child’s preference. A child can choose the shapes and combinations desired. The same technique can be used with wax crayons instead of chalk. The crayons are rubbed directly on the stencil. Unbleached muslin or cotton material can be used to print on as well.
The children create designs by placing small, flat objects on the paper. When the bristles snap the small particles of paint forward, the object prevents the spray from striking the paper directly under the object. This leaves the shapes free of paint spray while the rest of the paper is covered with small flecks of paint. This technique has endless possibilities. Not only can a variety of shapes be used, but colors can also be superimposed on one another. Natural forms such as twigs, leaves, and grass are excellent for this activity. Several forms can be combined, leading to interesting arrangements with unlimited variety. A field trip is a good way to find new print forms and shapes, thus encouraging children to find and learn about beauty in their own environment. Another strength of this project is that it avoids stereotyped designs and ready-cut patterns. The children create beauty for themselves.
The spatter technique. Simple spatter or spray
With color
printing is both fascinating and fun for children. It also has the advantage of allowing for a wide variety of patterns and shapes. Children can work individually or with partners on this project. Have several of the children bring in old toothbrushes. Beside toothbrushes, only a small amount of watercolor paint and paper is needed. The method is to “spray” the paint with a toothbrush. This is done by dipping the brush in paint and gently pulling a straightedged object (ruler, emery board, or tongue depressor) across the ends of the bristles. This causes the bristles to snap forward throwing small particles of paint onto the paper.
■ Alternate thin transparent watercolor with thick, opaque tempera paint. ■ Use a light color to print on dark paper or vice versa. ■ Use transparent paint on colored paper or cloth so that the color of the background shows through. ■ Combine two sizes of objects of the same shape. ■ Combine objects of different sizes and shapes. ■ Use one object in various positions. ■ Try overlapping and grouping objects.
SUGGESTIONS FOR PRINTMAKING EXPERIMENTS
With texture ■ Vary the amount of paint used in printing. ■ Use objects that create different textures, such as sponges, corrugated paper, wadded paper or cloth, stones, vegetables, and sandpaper.
With background paper ■ Try using a variety of shapes and sizes of paper. ■ Paint background paper and allow to dry before printing. ■ Paste pieces of tissue or colored construction paper onto background paper, allow to dry, then print. ■ Print a stippled design on background with a sponge, allow to dry, then print with a solid object.
With pattern
FIGURE 12–11
Working with two-dimensional materials can be fun in a new space.
■ Print a shape in straight rows or zigzag. Repeat design to create an all-over pattern. ■ Use a different shape for each row and add a second color in alternate rows.
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■ Print in a border design with a single shape or group of shapes.
COLLAGE
■ Demonstrate making a collage, selecting and arranging materials on a background, and ways of fastening, using paste, thread, and staples. ■ Assess qualities of materials in relation to ideas to be expressed: Gold paper is bright and “shiny like the sun;” cotton is soft and white “like snow.”
Collage, a French word meaning “to paste,” is the product of selecting, organizing, and arranging materials of contrasting color and texture and attaching them to a flat surface. One way children become aware of things around them is by touching. Through manipulation of everyday objects, they grow in sensitivity to shapes and textures and discover ways to use them in creating new forms and images. With added experience, the tactile sense becomes an instrument of knowledge and a tool of expression. Unlike the imitation of texture in drawing and painting, the textural materials in collage are real (Figure 12–12).
Materials
HELPING CHILDREN GET STARTED IN COLLAGE ACTIVITIES
Processes
The following suggestions are designed to help motivate children in their initial collage activities: ■ Arouse children’s awareness of texture by passing various materials for them to touch and examine. Discuss the qualities of various textures by asking: How do these materials feel? Are they smooth? Hard? Soft? Fuzzy? Sharp? Round? How can we use these materials? ■ Arrange a “touch-and-see” display. ■ Discuss sources of collage materials and encourage children to collect them.
Press a ball of play dough or clay into a plastic lid. Arrange seeds, beans, and other grains on top of the dough/clay. Press into the dough. Allow to dry.
Seed Collage.
Divide a piece of cardboard into several rectangular spaces using a pencil and ruler. Fill each rectangle with one type of “beautiful junk.” Glue on with white glue.
Patchwork Collage.
Select a texture theme (soft, hard, smooth, rough, etc.). Find objects at home and in the classroom that have that texture. Glue the collection onto cardboard or heavy construction paper. Display in the classroom.
Texture Collection.
FIGURE 12–12
Additional collage items
■ Background: Manila paper, construction paper, cardboard, and shirtboard ■ Collage materials: Paper and cloth scraps, magazine pages, yarn, string, ribbon, lace, and any other items the children and teacher collect. ■ Natural materials: Leaves, twigs, bark, seed pods, dried weeds, feathers, beans, ferns, sands, small stones, and shells ■ Scissors, brushes, paste, stapler, and staples Sort and keep materials of a similar nature in boxes to facilitate selection.
■ When working with beginners, limit the number of collage materials; this lessens the confusion in selection. ■ Encourage children to use materials in their own way. Instead of giving exact directions, suggest ways of selecting materials for variety of shape, size, color, and texture. ■ Materials may be cut, torn, or left in their original shapes. ■ As children arrange and rearrange the shapes on the background, they may form a representational picture or compose an abstract design. ■ Throughout the work period, emphasize thoughtful use of space by overlapping and grouping shapes, trying different combinations of colors and textural surfaces. ■ Create three-dimensional effects by crumpling flat pieces of material and attaching them to the background in two or three places. Other techniques include overlapping, bending, folding, rolling, curling, and twisting paper. ■ Include buttons, braids, tissue, or yarn for added interest and accent. ■ Use glue or staples to fasten heavy materials and plastics. ■ A collage may be displayed in a shadow box, using a box lid as a frame; it can be mounted in an old picture frame or on a sheet of colored construction paper. ■ Create a nature collage using all natural materials.
CHAPTER 12 Two-Dimensional Activities
■ Make a paper or cloth collage, exploring a variety of one kind of material. Do the same with leaves, buttons, or one kind of material children enjoy. Since older children enjoy creating more complex works in their art experiences, collage is an excellent medium for this age group. Here are some collage ideas for this age group: ■ Keep a collection of old picture magazines on hand. Have students tear or cut out sections of pages with large areas of interesting colors, textures, or patterns that might be used for collages. Have them create collages with these. Allow them to trade magazine pages with one another. ■ Collages can often send the viewer a very strong message. Have students make a collage mural about littering. Discuss how litter pollutes the school grounds and the environment. Talk about the types of items that define litter. Have students cut pictures from magazines of things that could litter the playground or cause environmental pollution. Students can also draw objects for the mural. Give the mural a title that reinforces the message of the artwork. ■ After students have completed the collage activities, have them write about their art work.
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2. List some variations to include in crayon pictures. 3. Explain how to introduce children to torn-andcut pictures. a. List some materials needed. b. List some possible demonstration strategies. 4. Discuss the importance of murals as two-dimensional art activities. a. List some topics for murals. b. List some materials for murals. 5. Discuss the various printing techniques. 6. List the basic materials needed for each printing technique. 7. Define the word collage and give specific examples of collage activities. 8. List specific materials and techniques used in collage activities. 9. What are the six areas of skill/knowledge required for cutting with scissors? 10. Discuss the basic points of scissor safety. 11. Describe the type and quality of scissors and paper required for children’s initial cutting experiences. 12. Define the terms unilateral, bilateral, and reciprocal, and give examples of each.
REFERENCES SUMMARY Picture making is a term which refers to any and all forms of purposeful visual expressions, beginning with controlled scribbling. Painting is a method of picture making, which can be done with a brush or with the fingers (finger painting). Other appropriate activities in the early childhood art program are drawing with crayons, printing, and working with clay. Learning to work with scissors is a developmental process. Children enjoy collage activities, which involve selecting, organizing and arranging materials and attaching them to a surface.
KEY TERMS brayer collage monoprint mural
picture making scissoring skills tempera
CHAPTER REVIEW 1. Discuss how to mix, store, and use paint for picture making.
Christoplos, F., & Valletutti, P. J. (1990). Developing children’s creative thinking through the arts. Bloomington, IN: Phi Delta Kappa. Moll, P. B. (1985). Children and scissors: A developmental approach. Tampa, FL: Hampton Mae Institute. Seefeldt, C. (1995, March). Art: A serious work. Young Children, 39–44.
ADDITIONAL READINGS Bass, K. I., Cotner, T., Eisner, E., Yacoe, T., & Hanson, L. (1997). Rethinking the display of student art. Washington, DC: NAEYC. Dever, M. T., & Jared, E. J. (1996). Remember to include art and crafts in your integrated curriculum. Young Children, 51(3), 69–73. Dighe, J., Calomiris, Z., & Van Zutphen, C. (1998). Nurturing the language of art in children. Young Children, 53(1), 4–9. Engle, B. S. (1995). Considering children’s art: Why and how to value their works. Washington, DC: NAEYC. Engle, B. S. (1996). Learning to look: Appreciating child art. Young Children, 51(3), 74–79. Ernst, K. (1997). A teacher’s sketch journal. Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann.
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Feldman, E. B. (1997). Becoming human through art. Reston, VA: NAEA. Gregory, D. (Ed.). (1997). New technologies and art education: Implications for theory, research and practice. Reston, VA: NAEA. Hart, K. (1994). I can paint! Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann. Johnson, A. (Ed.). (1992). Art education: Elementary. Reston, VA: NAEA. Johnson, P. (1997). Pictures and words together: Children illustrating and writing their own books. Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann. Kauppinen, H., & Diket, R. (Eds.). (1995). Trends in art education from diverse cultures. Reston, VA: NAEA. London, P. (1994). Step outside. Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann. Nyman, A. (Ed.). (1996). Instructional methods for the art room. Reston, VA: NAEA. Nyman, A. L., & Jenkins, A.M. (Eds.) (1999). Issues and approaches for students with special needs. Reston, VA: NAEA. Olshansky, B. (1992). Children as authors, children as illustrators. Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann. Saunders, R. J. (1998). Beyond the traditional in art: Facing a pluralistic society. Reston, VA: NAEA. Swanson, L. (1994, May). Changes: How our nursery school replaced adult-directed art projects with childdirected experiences and changed to an accredited, child-sensitive, developmentally appropriate school. Young Children, 69–73. Szyba, C. M. (1999, Jan.). Why do some teachers resist offering appropriate, open-ended art activities for young children? Young Children, 54(1), 16–20.
BOOKS FOR CHILDREN PRESCHOOL Anastasio, D. (1997). A busy day at Jack’s garage: All about colors. New York: Random House. Anastasio, D. (2000). The pinky ball book and the pinky ball. Breighton Beach, WI: Workman Publishing. Angelou, M. (1996). My painted house, my friendly chicken and me. New York: Crown. Baker, A. (1999). White rabbit’s color book. Helena, MT: Kingfisher. Bulloch, I. (1997). Let’s paint. Chicago: Worldbook. Cooke, A. (1996). Bear’s art school: Doodle kit at the seaside. New York: Barron’s. Cooke, A. (1996). Bear’s art school kit: Pencils-about town. New York: Barron’s. Derolf, S. (1997). The crayon box that talked. New York: Random House. Gibson, R. (1997). I can crayon. Los Angeles: EDCP. Gibson, R. 1998). I can finger paint. Los Angeles: EDCP. Gilland, J. H. (1995). Not in the house, Newton! Boston: Houghton Mifflin.
Gold-Dworkin, H., & Lee, D. G. (1999). Exploring light and color. New York: McGraw Hill. Hopp, L. (1997). Circus of colors. New York: Grosset. Hunt, J. L. (1997). Red and yellow: A through the window book of colors. Brookfield, CT: Millbrook. Inkpen, M. (1995). Wibbly pig makes pictures. Minneapolis: Artists Press. Krauss, R. (1999). I want to paint my bathroom blue. San Francisco, CA: Harper San Francisco. McPhail, D. M. (2000). Drawing lessons from a bear. Boston: Little Brown. Rex, M. (1997). The painting gorilla. New York: Henry Holt. Rotner, S., & Woodhull, A. (1996). Colors around us. New York: Little Simon. Say, A. (1996). Emma’s rug. Boston: Houghton Mifflin. Walsh, E. S. (1995). Mouse paint. New York: Harcourt Brace. Walsh, M. (1997). Martha paints with her kittens. Brookfield, CT: Millbrook. Wilson-Max, K. (2000). Max paints the house. New York: Disney Press. Wolkstein, D. (1992). Little Mouse’s painting, (Vol. 1). New York: Morrow.
KINDERGARTEN–GRADE 3 Angelou, M. (1996). My painted house, my friendly chicken and me. New York: Crown. Bates, K. L. (1994). O beautiful for spacious skies. San Francisco, CA: Chronicle. Bober, N. S. (1991). Marc Chagall: Painter of dreams. New York: Jewish Books. Brenner, B. (1999). The boy who loved to draw: Benjamin West. New York: Houghton Mifflin. Carroll, C. (1996). How artists see the weather: Sun, wind, snow, rain. New York: Abbeville. Demi. (1980). Liang and the magic paintbrush. New York: Holt. Dunham, L. (1997). Draw your own monsters. New York: Putnam. Emberly, E. (1994). Ed Emberly’s great thumbprint drawing book. Boston: Little Brown. Fisher, D. (1997). Marker mania. Laguna Hills, CA: Walter Foster Publishing. Fleming, C. (Reteller). (1998). The hatmaker’s sign: A story by Benjamin Franklin. New York: Orchard. Garza, C. L. (2000). Magic windows: Cut-paper art and stories. Chicago: Children’s Book Press. Gibson, R. (1998). I can draw animals. Los Angeles: EDCP. Gibson, R. (2000). I can draw people. Asheville, NC: Usborne. Hagerty, D. J. (1996). Canyon de Chelly: 100 years of painting and photography. New Orleans, LA: Gibbs Smith. Johnson, D. (1998). All around the town. New York: Holt.
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Kellogg, S. (1996). The mystery of the stolen blue paint. New York: Penguin. Magnuson, D. (1997). Colors in the Rain Forest: Learn and draw. Laguna Hills, CA: Walter Foster Publishing. McKinnon, E. (1998). Time to learn: Drawing and writing. Everett, WA: Totline Publishing. Pierce, R. (1999). I can draw that, too! With pens/pencils, (Vol. 1). New York: Putnam. Sesame Street, House In. (2000). I can draw. New York: Random House. Sills, L. (1999). Visions: Stories about women artists. Morton Grove, IL: Whitman. Steding, L. (1995). I like to draw! Fun with art: Great beginnings level 2. Mahwah, NJ: Troll. Tai, G. (1998). Colored pencil craze. Laguna Hills, CA: Walter Foster Publishing. Vasquez, S. (1997). The school mural. Chatham, NJ: Raintree. Yenawind, P. (1991). Shapes. New York: Delacorte. Yenawind, P. (1993). Places. New York: Delacorte. Yenawind, P. (1993). People. New York: Delacorte. Yenawind, P. (1991). Lines. New York: Delacorte. Yenawind, P. (1991). Colors. New York: Delacorte.
GRADES 4–5 Barry, J. (1996). Draw, design and paint. New York: Paperback Books. Blizzard, G. S. (1992). Come look with me: Animals in art. Charlottesville, VA: Thomasson. Blizzard, G. S. (1992). Come look with me: World of play. Charlottesville, VA: Thomasson. Bober, N. S. (1991). Marc Chagall: Painter of dreams. New York: Jewish Press. Bonafoux, P. (1992). A weekend with Rembrandt. New York: Rizzoli. Borgeson, B. (1997). Basic colored pencil techniques. Cincinnati, OH: F&W Press. Bulla, C. C. (1998). The paint brush kid. New York: Random House. Bunting, J. (1995). The child’s visual dictionary. New York: DK Publishing. Carroll, C. (1998). How artists see play. New York: Abbeville. Carson, J. (1997). Tell me about your picture. White Plains, NY: Dale Seymour Publications. Chambers, C. (1998). Speaking through pictures. New York: Watts. Doherty, P. (1995). The Cheshire cat and other eye-popping experiments on how we see the world. New York: Wiley. Fajnor, J. (1995). Draw scary: Creepy creatures and gruesome ghouls. Los Angeles: Lowell House. Henry, S. (1996). Cut-paper play: Dazzling creations from construction paper. Charlotte, VT: Williamson. Heslewood, J. (1993). Introducing Picasso. Boston: Little Brown. Lacey, S. (2000). Still life. Brookfield, CT: Millbrook.
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Martin, J. (1994). Painting and drawing. Brookfield, CT: Millbrook. McGill, O. (1995). Chalk talks! The magical art of drawing with chalk. Brookfield, CT: Millbrook. Pekarik, A. (1992). Behind the scenes: Painting. New York: Hyperion. Peppin, A. (1992). Nature in art. Brookfield, CT: Millbrook. Peppin, A. (1992). People in art. Brookfield, CT: Millbrook. Peppin, A. (1992). Places in art. Brookfield, CT: Millbrook. Porte, B. A. (19976). Black elephant with a brown ear (in Alabama). New York: Greenwillow. Richardson, J. (1997). Looking at pictures: An introduction to art for young people. New York: Abrams. Richmond, R. (1992). The story in a picture. Nashville, TN: Ideals. Roalf, P. (1992). Horses in art. New York: Hyperion. Roalf, P. (1992). Landscapes. New York: Hyperion. Roalf, P. (1993). Flowers. New York: Hyperion. Roalf, P. (1993). Self-Portraits. New York: Hyperion. Robertshaw, A. (1998). A soldier’s life: A visual history of soldiers through the ages. New York: Paperback Books. Sanchez, I. (1996). Draw, model and paint. New York: Gareth Stevens. Seymour, D. (1997). Geometric design. Reading, MA: Addison Wesley. Yep, L. (2000). The magic paintbrush. New York: HarperCollins.
SOFTWARE FOR CHILDREN PRESCHOOL Avery Kids: Printertainment software kit (1996). Diamond Bay, CA: Avery Dennison Worldwide Office Products. Disney’s print studio: Winnie the Pooh. (1997). Burbank, CA: Disney Interactive. Disney’s magic artist studio. (1999) Burbank, CA: Disney Interactive. Doodle-mation. (1993). Los Angeles: Screen Magic. Little types skidoodle. (1998). Torrance, CA: KB Gear. Sesame Street toddler deluxe. (1997). Cambridge, MA: Learning Company/Broderbund. The discovery toolkit. (1995). Portland, OR: Pierian Springs Software. KINDERGARTEN–GRADE 3 101 Dalmatians print studio. (1997). Burbank, CA: Disney Interactive. Art space. (1995). New York: Macomb Projects. Avery Kids: Printertainment software kit. (1996). Diamond Bay, CA: Avery Dennison Worldwide Office Products. Create and play. (1997). Los Angeles: Cloud 9 Interactive. Creation corner. (1999). Atlanta, GA: IBM Corporation.
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Disney’s magic artist studio. (1999). Burbank, CA: Disney Interactive. Disney’s print studio: Winnie the Pooh. (1997). Burbank, CA: Disney Interactive. Drawing discoveries. (1996). Carson, CA: Educational Insights. Fisher Price magna doodle. (1996). El Segundo, CA: Mattell Interactive Highlights hidden pictures workshop. (1997). Larkspur, CA: Palladium Interactive. Hot wheels custom designer car. (1997). El Segundo, CA: Mattel Media. Kid pix studio deluxe. (1997). Cambridge, MA: Learning Company/Broderbund. LEGO creator. (1998). Enfield, CT: LEGO Software. LEGO rock raiders. (1998). Enfield, CT: LEGO Software. LEGO friends. (1998). Enfield, CT: LEGO Software. LEGO racers. (1998). Enfield, CT: LEGO Software. LEGOland. (1998). Enfield, CT: LEGO Software. LEGO loco. (1998). Enfield, CT: LEGO Software. Little types skidoodle. (1998). Torrance, CA: KB Gear. Sesame Street: Create and draw in Elmo’s world. (1998). El Segundo, CA: Mattel Interactive. The bald-headed chicken. (1998). Batavia, IL: D.C. Heath. The discovery toolkit. (1995). Portland, OR: Pierrian Springs Software. Toy Story 2 print studio. (1998). Burbank, CA: Buena Vista Interactive.
GRADES 4–6 Art dobbler 2.1. (1997). Carpinteria, CA: Meta Creations. Art space. (1995). New York: Macomb Projects. Avery Kids: Printertainment software kit. (1996). Diamond Bay, CA: Avery Dennison Worldwide Office Products. Disney’s magic artist studio. (1999). Burbank, CA: Disney Interactive. Doodle-mation. (1993). Los Angeles, CA: Screen Magic. Drawing discoveries. (1996). Carson, CA: Educational Insights. Create and play. (1997). Los Angeles, CA: Cloud 9 Interactive. Creation corner. (1999). Atlanta, GA: IBM Corporation. Fine artist. (1993). Redmond, WA: Microsoft. Highlights hidden pictures workshop. (1997). Larkspur, CA: Palladium Interactive. Hot wheels custom car designer. (1997). El Sugundo, CA: Mattel Media. Kid pix studio deluxe. (1997). Cambridge, MA: Learning Company/Broderbund. The bald-headed chicken. (1998). Batavia, IL: D.C. Heath. The discovery toolkit. (1995). Portland, OR: Pierian Springs Software.
For additional creative activity resources, visit our Web site at www.EarlyChildEd.delmar.com.
THREEDIMENSIONAL ACTIVITIES OBJECTIVES After studying this chapter, you should be able to: 1. Describe how young children work with clay. 2. Define modeling and describe its benefits for children. 3. Discuss some guidelines to follow for successful modeling activities. 4. Define assemblage and give specific examples of assemblage activities for children, including the necessary materials and tools. 5. Discuss how cardboard may be used for three-dimensional activities, and describe the materials and tools used in constructing with it. 6. Describe woodworking supplies and strategies, and its benefits for young children.
T
he term three-dimensional art refers to any art form that has at least three sides. Threedimensional art is “in the round,” which means that one can look at it from many sides. Modeling with clay, working with play dough, making creations with paper boxes, and creating other sculpture forms are examples of three-dimensional art activities. Just as in drawing, there are basic stages of development in working with three-dimensional material, much the same as for two-dimensional media. While the names of stages in two-dimensional art do not apply (a child does not “scribble” with clay), the same process of growth and basic ideas for each stage apply.
DEVELOPMENTAL LEVELS AND THREEDIMENSIONAL MEDIA When young children first learn to use a three-dimensional material like clay, they go through much the same process of growth as in the scribble stage.
Random manipulation.
At first, clay is squeezed through the fingers in a very uncontrolled way. This random manipulation is comparable to the early scribble stage. With both clay and crayons, the child in this age range has little control over hand movements. The feel of the clay in hand while squeezing, the sheer physical pleasure alone, is what the child enjoys about the clay. Just as children make early scribbles in many directions, they also make early clay forms in many ways. A child of this age beats and pounds clay for no special purpose, just like scribbling in all directions. The child does not try to make anything definite with the clay. What is made depends on whether the child pounds, flattens, or squeezes the clay. Although a child may occasionally identify a mound of clay as a house, a ball of clay as a car, or, pushing her fist through the top of a chunk of clay, call it a bowl, she is usually more interested at this point in the manipulation of the material and discovering what she can do with it than she is in the object she has created.
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Lines drawn with crayon and rope lines made of clay are both proof of the child’s growing motor control.
Circles and rectangles.
FIGURE 13–1
Potter’s clay is an excellent three-dimensional material for young children.
Potter’s clay is a very good three-dimensional material for young children. It is easy to use because it is soft and elastic. It is best bought in moist form, because the dry powder is difficult to prepare and the silica dust is unhealthy for children to inhale. Plasticene, a plastic type clay, is more expensive and is much harder for the young child to use because it is not as soft and elastic as real clay. To make it easier for young children to use, warm and soften cold or hard plasticene by rolling it between your hands. To make the play dough and clay area satisfying for toddlers in their first experiences with modeling clay, use a small, low table. While many different props can be used (animals, cookie cutters, play dishes), most of the activity with the media comes from the use of hands and fingers. Squeezing, patting, pulling apart, and rolling all help develop small muscles and make the experience relaxing and successful for toddlers. Many young children like to watch and vocalize to their friends while they use dough. If the housekeeping area is nearby, toddlers may even initiate simple imaginative games around themes of cooking, eating, and birthday parties. Play dough can be made from water, flour, and salt; the colors can be varied each time. (See Appendix C for recipes for various doughs for three-dimensional activities.) Toddlers enjoy helping mix the dough, which can be refrigerated when not in use.
An older preschool child able to draw basic forms can also make clay into similar forms. Rolling clay to make balls is an example of a basic form (circle) in clay. Boxes made of clay are examples of basic forms (rectangles) in a threedimensional material. In drawing and in working with clay, the circle is one of the first basic forms made. In both two- and three-dimensional media, the child is able to make this form by controlling the material. The rectangular form usually comes after the circle. Just as in scribbling, the rectangle is made with clay when the child can shape it into whatever length desired.
Forming clay figures. Many children aged four to five can put together basic clay forms to make up figures. This is equivalent to the pictorial stage in twodimensional media. Most children in this age range like to make specific things with clay. They combine basic forms to build objects that are like figures in drawing, by making simple things out of basic forms. The child working with clay puts together a round clay ball (circle) for a head and a clay stick-type line or lump for a body. This is an early combination of basic forms in clay. It is a lot like the stick figure made in early first drawings.
Patting and rolling. As children’s muscle control develops, they begin to pat and roll the clay with purpose. This matches the controlled scribbling stage. In both scribbling and clay work, the children now enjoy seeing the effects of their movements. They find that they can use their hand movements to make the clay go in desired ways. At this point, a child may roll the clay into thin lengths (ropes), pound it, or shape it into balls.
FIGURE 13–2
Play dough offers young children many opportunities to enjoy three-dimensional work.
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FIGURE 13–4 FIGURE 13–3
As their muscle control improves, children begin to have better control over shapes they form with clay.
Later, in working with clay, children five years and older may put these forms together in more complex ways. They may make a person with legs, arms, fingers, and feet. This is like the later pictorial stage when a child draws with more details. Children at this stage do not make the same forms over and over again for practice as in the stage before. This is because a child of four or five has the motor control and hand–eye coordination to easily make any form desired. Clay is now used to make a definite object, a symbol for something important to the child. These forms are made in the child’s own special way, just as in drawing.
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An abundance of materials encourages a child’s creativity in three-dimensional art forms.
THE VALUE OF CLAY At all ages, work with clay gives the child many chances for creative experiences. Most children like the damp feel of clay. They like to pound it, roll it, poke holes in it, and pull it apart. Just as in drawing, it is the fun of working with the clay that counts. The end product is not as important as using it; a child becomes really involved in the process. The following scene from an early childhood program emphasizes this value of clay experiences. In my activities I wanted to emphasize fine motor development, so I used clay with different sizes of soda straw pieces, toothpicks, buttons, etc., to stick in the clay. The children
Development of schema. This special way, or schema, of working with clay is the same for two- and three-dimensional media. It comes from much practice in making symbols and is the child’s own special way of making these symbols. In developing their personal schemas, just as in drawing, children may make things that are more important to them (symbols) larger than things that are less important. They may also use more details for an important clay figure. At this stage, these details may be made by putting other pieces on the clay, like buttons for eyes, straws for legs, and cotton for hair. Children start to name their clay objects at about the same time they start to name their drawings. This is just as important with clay as with drawing. In both cases, it means the children are expressing their ideas in art. The children now can tell other people just what these ideas are by naming their work.
FIGURE 13–5
Modeling with clay is a relaxing and social activity.
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made animals, designs, and monsters. They kept up a running commentary on how they were making a monster and could SMASH it if they wanted to. It seemed that the clay was a good means of having them release their fears, ideas, and emotions on many things. This clay activity went over very well. During the day many different children, as well as the same children, came back to play at the clay table (Author’s log).
Children who perceive clay as “messy” or “slimy,” however, may not want to work with it. Never force the issue! Be patient and give these children lots of time and plenty of opportunities to see the fun others have with clay. Some teachers find that involving timid children first in a “cleaner” aspect of clay work, such as mixing up play dough, helps involve them on a gradual basis. Hesitant children might feel more comfortable sitting near you as you pat the dough and describe how it feels. Acknowledge these simple participations. Eventually, when hesitant children feel more comfortable, they may try patting gently with you or a friend (Miller, 1993).
STRATEGIES FOR WORKING WITH CLAY Working with clay requires planning and forethought. A lack of planning can result in a teacher’s constantly having to remind the children about the right use of clay. Proper setup will make this unnecessary. Some tips for clay setup are: ■ The tables used for working with clay should be placed away from wheel and climbing toys. They should be covered with linoleum or formica to make cleaning easier. If the tables in the room are formicatopped, additional covering is not usually needed. ■ The number of children at a table at one time should be limited, allowing each child enough room to spread out and use as much arm and hand movement as he or she needs. ■ Each child should be given a lump of clay at least the size of a large apple or a small grapefruit. The clay may be worked with in any way the child wants. These basic guidelines help: the clay may not be thrown on the floor, and no child may interfere with another child’s work. ■ The teacher may sit at the table and play with clay, too; this adds to the social feeling. But the teacher should avoid making objects for the child to copy. This discourages the child’s creative use of the clay. ■ When the children are done, clay needs to be stored until its next use. It is best to form it into balls, each
FIGURE 13–6
Manipulating clay and other three-dimensional objects helps the development of the small muscles in the fingers and hands.
about the size of an apple. A hole filled with water in each ball helps keep the clay just right for use the next time. Keep the clay in a container with a wet cloth or sponge on top of the clay. The container should be covered with a tight-fitting lid. (Margarine tubs with plastic lids work well.) Clay becomes moldy if it is too wet and hard to handle if it becomes very dry. If clay should dry out, it can be restored to a proper consistency by placing the dried-out clay in a cloth bag and pounding it with a hammer until it is broken into small pieces. After soaking this clay in water, it can be kneaded until it is the proper consistency again. If clay does become moldy, there is no need to throw it away. Simply scrape off the moldy area and drain off any water collected in the bottom of the container.
MODELING Modeling—manipulating and shaping flexible material—has many benefits for young children. It helps them develop tactile perception, the understanding and appreciation of the sense of touch. Modeling also helps develop the child’s adaptability to change, by use of an ever-flexible material. In modeling three-dimensional objects, the child’s concepts of form and proportion are strengthened as he learns to make objects with his
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not appropriate for very young children, since it involves a sustained span of interest as it is a two-step process.
To prepare paper pulp. Shred pieces of soft paper, such as newsprint, paper towels, newspaper, or facial tissue, into small bits or thin strips. Soak several hours in water. Then drain, squeeze out the extra water, and mix the pulp with prepared wheat paste to the consistency of soft clay. Let the mixture stand for an hour before beginning to work with it. Use the pulp to form shapes.
To prepare paper strips. Tear newspaper or newsprint into long, thin strips about 21" wide. Dip the strips into a wheat paste or starch and white glue mixture, and then put down a layer of wet strips over the shape to be covered. Continue putting strips on the form until there are five or six layers. This thickness is strong enough to support most papier-mâché projects. FIGURE 13–7
Clay activities are best placed near a source of water for ease in cleanup.
hands. With older children, the appreciation for sculpture and pottery as they appear in our environment may also be enhanced as they have experiences modeling their own original sculpture and simple pottery. Three-dimensional art is generally an underexplored area of the arts in many early childhood programs. And yet, the main ideas of sculpture (one of the most basic of three-dimensional arts) are form, space, and materials—qualities that are seen every day by everyone whatever they are doing.
Foundations. Good forms that can be used as foundations for papier-mâché include the following: rolled newspapers secured with string or tape, blown-up balloons, plastic bottles, paper sacks stuffed with newspapers and tied with string, and wire or wooden armatures used as skeletal forms. When you would like to add variety to clay activities, introduce the children to some tools for modeling. Sticks, tongue depressors, toothpicks, popsicle sticks, paper clips, nails, and even combs make interesting tools for modeling. Of course, any tools small enough
MATERIALS The soft, plastic quality of natural clay has a strong appeal for children at any age. In addition to the types of clay referred to earlier in this chapter, salt clay may be substituted for modeling; it is quite a suitable modeling material for young children. To prepare salt clay, mix together 23 cup of salt, 21 cup of flour, and 31 cup of water. Add a small amount of dry powder paint or food coloring, if desired, while the mixture is moist. When the clay is left white, the dried piece has a crystalline sheen or “snow” effect caused by the salt. Finished objects dry to a durable hardness. Paper pulp (papier-mâché), another modeling material, is easy to work with, does not crack or break readily, and is inexpensive. This modeling material is made from mixing either paper pulp of paper strips with wheat paste or glue. It can be molded into various three-dimensional shapes when it is wet and painted when it is dry. This medium is
FIGURE 13–8
Creating three-dimensional objects can be done with many objects.
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■ Some children find satisfaction in manipulating a modeling material without making anything. Others, in the symbolic stage, give names to objects such as balls, pancakes, and coils that appear unreal to adults. The teacher, recognizing different stages of growth, encourages children’s efforts on all levels. ■ One child may pull, pinch, or squeeze the material into a desired shape with head, arms, and legs extended. Another may make each part separately, then put them together into the whole figure. Some children may combine the two ways of working. It is best not to block the child’s thinking by diverting him from one method to the other. ■ When children are ready for other techniques, the teacher may demonstrate how to: –moisten both parts when joining pieces of clay together, then pinch and work them together so they will not separate when the object has dried. –avoid delicate parts that break off. –smooth the material to prevent cracking. –create texture using fingernails or carving tools. –depict action by bending the head or twisting the body. FIGURE 13–9
Pounding clay is a good exercise as well as a three-dimensional activity.
to put into the mouth should not be used with toddlers or any young children who still put things in their mouth. All young preschoolers need to be supervised in their use of modeling tools. ENCOURAGING THE USE OF MODELING MATERIALS The following suggestions are intended to encourage children’s modeling activities. ■ Clay interests and absorbs children. As with painting, use clay with young children for the process— the feelings it generates, the pleasure of discovery, putting one’s mark on it, and making it change. Very rarely should clay be used with young children to make something permanent. Rather, clay is to work with at a table with others and to make back into a ball once you are through, storing it for the next time. ■ If, during any of these activities, children say, “I don’t know what to do,” they are trying to find out how to do the activity right. You might tell them, “Just play with it and see what happens.” What we must fight here is a stereotype children often adopt: that there is a right way to draw, paint, or model— which, of course, there is not (Clemens, 1991).
■ If a child has difficulty with this method, you might demonstrate how to “pull” a smaller piece of clay out of the larger mass, rather than add an attachment. Just be sure your suggestion helps the child accomplish his own goal for his clay. ■ Unfinished clay work may be wrapped in plastic bags or aluminum foil or placed in covered cans with the child’s name attached, if the child wants to continue work on it at a later time. ■ A small lump of modeling material can be used as a magnet to pick up crumbs at cleanup time. ENCOURAGING OLDER CHILDREN’S MODELING ACTIVITIES Children who are in the middle and upper elementary grades enjoy more exploration and challenge with modeling activities. This is a good age to introduce the work of potters to the children. Having a potter visit your class to demonstrate how pottery or clay sculptures are made can motivate children’s work in clay. As an alternative, a teacher or parent can arrange a field trip to a potter’s studio so that the children can see a potter’s wheel, kiln, and other special ways of working with clay. Bring in beautiful earthenware serving pieces to show the children that these “common” dishes, bowls, and cups are made from clay. Explain that for thousands of years people have used clay to make utensils for eating.
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More Sculpture Ideas
Here are some more ideas to encourage young children’s experiments with three-dimensional media. You will probably have many more of your own.
FOIL SCULPTURE Supplies: Foil, gummer tape, brush, liquid detergent, tempera paint. Procedure: Crumple the foil into individual forms, shapes, or creations that when assembled will create a piece of sculpture. Join these forms together, if desired, with tape. Color can be added to the surface by painting with a drop or two of liquid detergent mixed in the tempera paint.
NATURAL OBJECT SCULPTURE Supplies: Natural materials (seeds, twigs, pinecones, seed pods, stones, driftwood, etc.), quick-drying glue, clear quick-drying spray, paint, construction paper, felt. Procedure: Collect a number of natural objects of various sizes and colors. Arrange several of these items to create a small piece of sculpture. When satisfied with the creation, glue it together. Paint or colored paper can be added to enhance the design. Spray with clear spray to preserve the finish. Spray with optimum ventilation, preferably outdoors. Glue a piece of felt to the bottom to prevent scratching.
SPOOL SCULPTURE Supplies: spools (a variety of sizes are useful), assorted fabric pieces, glue, anything that will serve to stimulate children’s imaginations as decorations. Procedure: There is no prescribed procedure in this project, as each of the spool sculptures is made differently, according to the imagination of the artist. Basically, the procedure involves “dressing” the spool, which serves as a body. The materials are contrived to serve as clothing and are glued onto the spool. If desired, a child may use the spool purely as a base; it does not have to be a figure to dress. Details can be made with drawing materials, and bits and pieces of yarn, ribbon, etc., can be glued on for interest.
Children of this age can also begin to learn about and appreciate the work of sculptors. Art prints of the sculpture work of Henry Moore is a good place to begin discussing the qualities of form, subject, and theme in sculpture. Obtain samples of sculpture pieces from a museum gift shop or from local art stores. Encourage children to view these pieces from all sides. Have them identify basic geometric forms they see in sculpture examples. Encourage the children to create sculpture pieces of their own beginning with a geometric form.
ASSEMBLAGE As an art form, assemblage refers to placing a number of three-dimensional objects, natural or manmade, in
juxtaposition to create a unified composition. Materials are combined in a new context to express an abstract, poetic, or representational theme. Assemblage makes use of three-dimensional space, resembling a still-life arrangement as objects are first selected, then grouped and regrouped. There are many ways to make an assemblage. One way is to put things together. Matchboxes, a paper cup, a cardboard roll, and an egg carton can be glued together. Another way to make an assemblage is to build up a form, using materials you can shape yourselves. For older children, cardboard is a good material for shaping an assemblage with building up a form. Cardboard can be found anywhere and it is easy to work with. All the children need are scissors and glue to cut and stick the cardboard shapes together. You can bend, twist, fold, cut, or glue shapes to make a sculpture.
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Cornstarch
Believe it or not, a fascinating modeling medium is plain old cornstarch. Use the following recipe to mix up cornstarch for children’s three-dimensional play.
CORNSTARCH AND WATER 2 cups warm water 3 cups cornstarch Put ingredients in a bowl and mix with your hands. This mixture will solidify when left alone, but turns to liquid from the heat of your hands. Magic! Involve the children in making the above cornstarch recipe. Have them feel the dry cornstarch. Encourage their reactions to it, using their senses of sight, smell, touch, and even taste. Add a little water, and then let the children mix it and feel it again. It is lumpy. After this lumpy stage, you can add a little more water until it’s all moist. Wet cornstarch forms an unstable material, which is fun because of its unexpected behavior— it breaks, but it also melts. It doesn’t behave like glue, or like milk, or like wood; it’s a liquid, and it’s a solid, too. If you rest your fingers lightly on the surface of the cornstarch-water mix, it will let your fingers drift down to the bottom of the container. If you try to punch your way to the bottom, it will resist. Cornstarch works well in a baby bathtub set on a table, with a limit of two or three children using the entire recipe. If you leave it in its tub overnight, by morning it’s dry. Add some water, and it becomes that wonderful “stuff” again. Be sure to invite the children to watch this event. It’s a clean sort of play: the white, powdery mess on the floor can be picked up easily with a dustpan and brush or a vacuum cleaner. Children come back to this cornstarch and water mix again and again, because it feels good and behaves in an interesting way (Clemens, 1991).
ENCOURAGING ASSEMBLAGE ACTIVITIES Try some of the following suggestions to introduce children to an assemblage activity. ■ Encourage children to bring objects from their environment and containers for assemblages. ■ Display and discuss collected items from our environment. ■ Explore ways of arranging various objects emphasizing variety of shapes, sizes, colors, textures, and methods of fastening the objects. ■ Explore ways of making items for an assemblage. ■ Some materials for an assemblage: Containers: Wooden boxes, cardboard boxes, cigar boxes, matchboxes, suitcases, egg cartons and crates, packing cartons. These may be painted or decorated if the children desire. Mounting boards: Pasteboard, corrugated cardboard, wood, crates, picture frames.
Objects: Wooden forms or scrap lumber, driftwood, screening, corks, cardboard boxes, discarded toys, household items; articles of nature such as seeds, weeds, stones, twigs, and any other interesting items. Adhesives: Paste, glue, staples, tape. Tools: Scissors, stapler, hammer, nails, pliers. Encourage children to collect objects that are meaningful to them. Almost any area of interest or everyday experience is a possible theme for assemblage. ■ Objects may be selected according to an idea, topic, size of container, or variation in line, form, color, and texture; use multiple items for repetition of shapes. ■ Three-dimensional forms may be altered or transformed so that they lose their original identity and take on a new meaning. They can be bent, twisted, stretched, crumpled, or painted (Figure 13–11). ■ Objects also can be made by cutting out pictures or illustrations and pasting them over cardboard, wood, or other substantial material.
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FIGURE 13–10
Making paper assemblages can be a group project.
■ Objects can be glued, stapled, taped, or even nailed together or onto a mounting board. ■ Arrange and rearrange objects until the desired effect is achieved. Distribute paste and other fastening materials after the arrangement is satisfactory in the child’s opinion.
CARDBOARD CONSTRUCTION Cardboard, an indispensable material for construction projects, stimulates and challenges the imagination of children on all levels. It is readily available in various forms. Such commonplace objects as milk and egg cartons, apple-crate dividers, toweling tubes, and assorted sizes of boxes offer unlimited possibilities for creative art projects. ENCOURAGING CARDBOARD CONSTRUCTION ACTIVITIES Gather together an assortment of cardboard materials. Some suggestions are: ■ assorted cardboard boxes, cartons, corrugated cardboard, paper cups and plates of all sizes. ■ recycled materials: paper bags, yarn, string, buttons, feathers, cloth, tissue paper, scraps of construction paper, and wrapping paper. ■ paste, glue, tape, crayons, colored markers, paint, brushes, scissors, stapler, and staples. Most topics of interest to young children can be adapted to cardboard construction projects. Creations
FIGURE 13–11
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Use three pipe cleaners to create a simple “skeleton” of a person. Bend your wire sculpture into different action poses. Then draw some of the action poses.
are as endless as the imaginations of young children. Some possibilities for creative construction projects include using boxes for making various buildings, houses, cities, and even neighborhoods. Young children also enjoy making such things as imaginary animals, people, and favorite characters from a story out of various cardboard rolls and containers. Some children have even made costumes out of boxes large enough to fit over the child’s body. Cars, trucks, and trains are some other favorite construction projects with young children. Cardboard construction provides a wealth of possibilities for creative expression in arts and crafts projects as well. Some suggestions for facilitating cardboard construction include the following: ■ Have the cardboard construction materials out and available for the children to explore on their own. Encourage the children to stack materials or combine them in different ways. Encourage children to explore the possibilities for creating they may discover while playing with the materials. ■ Discuss with the children and demonstrate (if needed) ways of fastening boxes together, covering them with paint or paper, and how to add other parts or features. ■ Encourage the children to select as many objects as they need for their construction. ■ Boxes with waxed surfaces can be covered with a layer of newspaper and wheat paste and allowed to dry before painting. Powder paint mixed with starch adheres well to box surfaces.
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■ Textured surfaces can be created by using corrugated cardboard, shredded packing tissue, or crinkled newspaper. ■ Shapes and sizes of cardboard objects may suggest ideas for a project, such as using an oatmeal box for the body of an elephant or a milk carton for a tall building. ■ Use a variety of materials to complete the design, such as pieces of ribbon, buttons, sequins, spools, etc. ■ Older children are able to appreciate lessons combining three-dimensional assemblage projects with architectural ideas. For example, after drawing their plans for a building or structure, the students might like to use boxes, cardboard, or cut-and-fold paper techniques to make three-dimensional models of their buildings. Students who are particularly excited by such projects may wish to create realistic settings for their structures as well, using sand, pebbles, dried moss, and the like to create their own miniature scene.
WOODWORKING Woodworking involves a range of activities from hammering nails to sanding, gluing, and painting wood. As with other three-dimensional activities, woodworking can be an excellent medium for fostering a child’s creativity if the process, and not the product, is emphasized. There are many valuable reasons for including woodworking in the early childhood art program. ■ Woodworking provides opportunities for children to strengthen and control their large and small muscles through participating in vigorous activities such as sawing and nail pounding. ■ Through participation in woodworking experiences, children improve social and communication skills as they share ideas, talk over problems, or help one another handle tools. ■ Woodworking provides opportunities for children to release tension. Experiences that allow a child to work off his tension, either consciously or unconsciously, help build an emotionally healthy child. ■ Skills learned through woodworking furnish the basis for developing scientific thinking. Woodworking materials provide opportunities for young children to investigate, experiment with, and develop problem-solving skills. Through fitting, fastening, connecting, and cutting, children learn basic mechanics—the foundation for understanding math and physics.
■ Woodworking provides children with opportunities to become aware of textures and forms. Senses are sharpened as children explore the field of construction. Fingers explore many textures, ears pick out the sounds of different tools, noses test the different smells of various woods, and eyes see the many hues of wood. ■ Working with tools and materials allows the child to express herself. What a child chooses to play with and how the child uses her play materials reflects her feelings about and reactions to the people around her.
PLANNING FOR THE WOODWORKING EXPERIENCE Planning for the woodworking area and related experiences is the key to success. Thought needs to be given to time allotment, location of the woodworking area, limits, number of children working at one time, and the role of the teacher. The following criteria need to be considered. ■ Enough time should be allotted for children to explore materials without feeling rushed. If the woodworking area is a popular one, the teacher may find it necessary to set up time allotments to give all children a chance to participate. ■ The workbench should be situated so that several children can move around and work without bumping into one another. It should be located out of major traffic patterns to avoid interruptions and accidents and away from quiet areas, so the noise will not disturb others. Weather permitting, and with adequate supervision, woodworking can be provided out-of-doors. ■ A specific limit should be set in advance regarding the number of children working at one time. Usually, one teacher can comfortably supervise three or four children. No more children than the set limit should be allowed in the woodworking area at one time. Teachers can enforce this limit by requiring all children who are woodworking to wear an apron and safety goggles. ■ Tools and materials need to be geared to the ability level of the children using them. ■ The teacher needs to familiarize herself with the use of woodworking tools and materials in order to give effective guidance and set reasonable limits. To create enthusiasm in the children for woodworking, it is important that the teacher be excited about its possibilities herself. The carpentry area must be constantly supervised to avoid accidents.
CHAPTER 13 Three-Dimensional Activities
GUIDANCE FOR WOODWORKING ACTIVITIES In guiding children in woodworking activities, the teacher must first help them become familiar with the tools. In introducing the saw, for example, show the children how to hold the saw at a 45-degree angle and gently move it back and forth rhythmically. Children do not have to use a great deal of force or power for sawing; the saw will do the work on its own. Demonstrate how to fasten the wood in a vise, hold the wood with the left hand and saw with the right hand, or vice versa for left-handers. The rules of saw safety must be emphasized, including where to keep the hands, how to carry the saw, and where to lay it down. In introducing the hammer, show the children how to set a nail by gently tapping it into the wood. It can be driven using more vigorous strokes while holding the hammer by the end of the handle. Make a series of holes in various pieces of wood, showing how to set nails into these premade holes. Avoid too many detailed instructions or making models or patterns because all of these things limit the children’s initiative, independence, and creativity. To prevent children from becoming frustrated, show them how to make handling wood easier by laying it flat and securing it with a vise. Allow the child to try out his own ideas, but guide him in choosing the proper tools to use for carrying out those ideas. SELECTING TOOLS FOR WOODWORKING EXPERIENCES When buying tools and equipment for woodworking, choose adult-type tools of good quality to withstand hard use. Tools should also be able to be resharpened, reconditioned, and have broken parts replaced. ■ Saws. Three types of saws are generally sold for woodworking purposes: the rip saw, the crosscut saw, and the coping saw. The rip saw has coarse teeth for cutting wood in the direction of the grain. The crosscut saw is designed to cut across the grain, while the coping saw is designed for use on thin wood and for cutting curves. Of the three saws available, the crosscut saw is the easiest for young children to manage. An 8- or 10-point saw (teeth per inch) is the most satisfactory size for children’s use. ■ Hammers. A 10- to 13-ounce claw hammer, with a broad head, is the most satisfactory for use by young children. ■ Plane. A plane may be provided for children’s use.
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If it is available, the blade should be adjusted to make small cuts, and children should be cautioned to use it only on surfaces free from nails, screws, or knots. ■ Workbench. The workbench used must be strong, sturdy, and stable. An old door or heavy wooden packing box are ideal for homemade workbenches. Or a pair of sawhorses connected with a heavy board can be easily set up. All workbenches should be about 16” to 18” high, just under a child’s waist height, for the most convenient work.
Optional tools ■ pliers for holding nails as children are “setting” them ■ scissors for cutting sandpaper and string ■ screwdriver ■ rasp for smoothing a rough or splintered edge against the grain and for rounding corners on wooo ■ one-foot rule, yardstick ■ pencil ■ c-clamp
STORAGE AND CARE OF TOOLS A special wall-mounted tool board is essential for storing frequently used tools, while infrequently used tools can be stored in a cupboard. Paint the outline of each tool on the board so children can see where to put them away. Saws should be professionally sharpened and oiled once or twice a year and wrapped in newspaper for long-term storage. Tools should be kept free from dust and rust; lightweight machine oil will remove any rust that forms.
CHOOSING AND USING WOODWORKING MATERIALS
Woods. The wood provided for young children in the woodworking area should be unfinished, smooth, and porous enough for children to pound or saw. Pine, balsa, poplar, and basswood are good, soft woods for children’s use. Children work best with small pieces of wood of varying sizes, shapes, and thicknesses. Lumberyard scraps of doweling, molding, and mill ends offer endless possibilities when provided along with basic wood pieces. Store wood in a container that allows visibility and accessibility to the child. Plastic vegetable bins work well for this.
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Nails. Nails are supplied in pennyweights (dwt), which refers to the length of the nail. Common nail sizes are 2dwt or 1"; 4dwt or 1 21"; 6dwt or 2”; 8dwt or 2 21 "; and 10dwt or 3". At first, most children have trouble pounding nails without bending them, so 1 21" nails with large heads are best. Store nails in small jars according to size to allow children to select them easily.
Glue. Glue can be used by children who have not mastered the skill of pounding nails well enough to fasten wood pieces together. A quick-drying, all-purpose glue can be used for this purpose. Glue can also be used to make wood sculptures, attach accessories, and strengthen joints.
Screws. Screws may be provided in the woodworking area but are often difficult for young children to handle. They can be made more manageable to chil-
dren by making a guide hole with a nail first. Older children can work more easily with screws and screwdriver than young children. Provide both standard and Phillips-head screwdrivers with a variety of screw sizes. ADDITIONAL MATERIALS FOR WOODWORKING ■ sandpaper in four weights: coarse, medium, fine, extra fine. Mount sandpaper on wooden blocks and use in a back-and-forth motion. ■ brushes of medium and narrow widths ■ tempera paint for painting completed creations ■ accessories such as string, rubber bands, small pieces of rubber, scraps of leather, pieces of cloth and carpeting, bottle caps, pieces of styrofoam, and metal gadgets like cuphooks, staples, paper clips, etc.
Me Be Creative?…Artistic? But I Can’t Even Draw!
Many teachers rely on ready made art “recipes” for their early childhood art program because they feel they are not “creative” enough without them. An art recipe is comfortable for the teacher because she knows exactly what to expect; she knows what the product will look like. Materials can be organized ahead of time and remain neat and tidy. It is unfortunate for the child, however, because without any input the activity is not self-expressive or creative. We want children to be able to think for themselves, to be able to make decisions, and to act on them. By providing a step-by-step art activity, we are not allowing young children to make decisions, nor are we teaching them to become independent. A creative art opportunity allows the young child to begin choosing and seeking knowledge on her own, giving her more and more confidence in her own abilities. Think about the art activities you offer children and see if they allow children this creative freedom. Teachers often feel inadequate when it comes to art and may fall back on what they did in school as a child. Many of those activities were craft oriented, pattern determined, and teacher controlled. Teachers are often not given enough training in the area of planning expressive art activities for children. Teacher preparation in this area is often minimal at best. This is why it’s not fair to fault teachers who feel timid about letting children leap into art, when it is the teacher preparation programs that in many cases are lacking. Many teachers feel that being creative is a talent that you either have or do not have. Research shows, however, that being creative, as well as being able to draw, are learnable skills (Edwards 1979). It is unfortunate for a child to hear a teacher say, “I can’t draw,” when the teacher really should say, “I never learned to draw.” There is a big difference between these two remarks, and children are perceptive enough to notice it. If their teacher believes that artistic ability is an unteachable talent, then children will believe that. But if the teacher believes people can learn how to create with art materials, the children will believe that too (Szyba, 1999).
CHAPTER 13 Three-Dimensional Activities
SUMMARY Three-dimensional art refers to any art that has at least three sides. It is “in the round,” which means one can look at it from many sides. Examples of three-dimensional art are modeling with clay and play dough, assemblage, cardboard construction, and other forms of sculpture. Just as children have different drawing abilities at each age, so do they work with clay in different ways at each age. When young children first learn to use a three-dimensional material like clay, they go through much the same process as a child using crayons in the scribble stage. In work with both crayons and clay, children at this age have little control over their hands or the material. They enjoy the feel of the clay but do not have good control in working with it. Older preschool children who can draw basic forms like circles or rectangles can also make clay into similar forms. Balls and boxes are examples of basic forms in clay. Children’s muscle (motor) control helps them make these forms. Children in this age group can also put together basic forms in clay to make up figures. This is similar to making figures in the pictorial stage of two-dimensional media. Children name their clay objects at about the same time that they name their drawings. Naming is an important form of communication in both two- and three-dimensional media. A teacher needs to set up the room for the enjoyable use of three-dimensional materials by children. Proper tables, number of children, and care of materials are all points to keep in mind when planning for clay work. Modeling refers to the manipulation and shaping of flexible materials. Modeling activities help children develop their sense of touch, their adaptation to change, their concepts of form and proportion and, especially in older children, their sense of aesthetics. Assemblage is a creative activity that involves placing a number of three-dimensional objects together to create a unified composition. Everyday materials found in the school or home environment are media for this type of activity. Cardboard is also a suitable material for construction activities for young children. Woodworking, another three-dimensional activity, involves a range of activities from hammering nails to sanding, gluing, and painting. Woodworking experiences for young children contribute to their total development. These experiences must be planned so that appropriate, good quality tools are provided for the children’s use. Close supervision is required in woodworking.
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KEY TERMS assemblage modeling paper pulp (papier-mâché)
random manipulation three-dimensional art
LEARNING ACTIVITIES EXERCISE 1 Goal: To experience how a child aged one and one-half to three years works with clay. A. Use your hand opposite your writing hand. B. Use a piece of real clay about the size of a large apple. C. Squeeze the clay in one hand only. D. Keep these points in mind: 1. how it feels to lack good muscle (motor) control 2. how hard it is to make an exact object 3. how the clay feels in the hand EXERCISE 2 Goal: To feel the differences in clay. A. Prepare large balls of real clay, plasticene (oilbased) clay, and play dough. B. Use the hand opposite the writing hand to squeeze and feel each of the three clay balls. (This should help you experience both the child’s lack of muscle control and different materials.) C. Consider the following points while working with each of the three balls of clay: 1. Which is the easiest to squeeze? 2. Which feels the best? 3. Which is the most fun to use? 4. Is the type most fun to use also the easiest to use? D. Try the above activity with children aged one and one-half to three years. Ask them the above questions. Compare answers. EXERCISE 3 Goal: To help you understand how children feel when they are given a model to copy. A. Obtain and display small glass or porcelain figures. These could be decorative birds, glass dolls, or any other finished figure from a variety store or other source.
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B. Provide all the students with small balls of clay. Have each student try to copy the model. C. Look at and discuss the finished objects. 1. How did it feel to copy such a difficult model? 2. Was it a pleasant or frustrating experience? 3. Did this copying exercise make you feel happy about working with clay? Did it make you like to copy? 4. How do you think children feel about trying to copy models the teacher sets up? 5. Why is it undesirable for a teacher to have children copy a model? EXERCISE 4 Obtain some pictures of modern sculpture. (Henry Moore’s are good examples.) A. Show the pictures to the children before they work with clay. B. See if there are any effects on their work in relation to the following: 1. kinds of objects made 2. new shapes made 3. more or less clay work done 4. change in the way objects are made 5. change in the way child works with clay EXERCISE 5 Read an exciting story to the children before they work with clay. For example, try M. Sendak’s Where the Wild Things Are or Dr. Seuss’ To Think It Happened on Mulberry Street. A. Do not tell the children what to make. B. See if their work with clay shows any influence from the story regarding the following: 1. type of figures made 2. size of figures made 3. details of figures made EXERCISE 6 To add variety to play dough activities, try one of these variations: A. Work a drop of food flavoring and a drop of food coloring into your play dough recipe. Match scents with colors, such as mint flavoring with green and lemon flavoring with yellow. B. Use a tasty mixture of peanut butter and powdered milk as play dough for another three-dimensional taste treat. C. Make your play dough recipe slippery by adding a little vegetable oil.
ACTIVITIES FOR OLDER CHILDREN (GRADES 4–5) EXERCISE 7 CREATING SOFT WIRE SCULPTURES A. Have the students use three pipe cleaners to create a simple “skeleton” of a person. B. Other pipe cleaners can be wrapped around the skeleton figure to suggest the form of muscles. Allow children to help one another. C. After the students bend their sculptures into different poses, each pose is drawn on paper. The poses can be planned to create an action picture of a group of people. The poses might be planned and drawn to show a favorite sport, game, dance, or another activity such as a family watching television or on a picnic. Drawings of all the skeleton figures should be made first. Then the students can draw in the details—clothes, faces, and the like. D. Encourage students to draw the skeleton figures so they are about the same size as the wire sculpture. If the skeleton lines are carefully observed in each pose, their final drawings should be easy to complete and have interesting poses. EXERCISE 8 MEMORY BOXES–ASSEMBLAGE Students in middle and upper elementary grades are often involved in collecting things that express their interests. Talk about what collecting means to them. How are the things we save and collect reflections of parts of ourselves? Introduce the idea of a memory box for presenting their personal memorabilia. ■ First, have the students prepare their memory boxes. They can paint the inside and outside of their boxes. Using a dark color, such as black or brown works best because the objects of the assemblage will stand out more and the composition will be more unified. ■ After the boxes have dried, preferably overnight, the students will be able to compose their assemblages. Have them look through their memorabilia collections and select objects that they want to use. To avoid having the students glue in their objects before they have experimented with various compositions, do not pass out glue until everyone has had a chance to explore different combinations. The students should be advised to select objects with contrasting qualities in order to create interest and variety; objects with varying sizes, colors, shapes, and textures.
CHAPTER 13 Three-Dimensional Activities
■ Remind the students that composition is the organization of parts into a unified whole. They should carefully consider the placement of each part of their assemblage to make a composition that is pleasing to them. Remind them that they should place objects so that they can be seen as the box stands upright or hangs on a wall; they should not compose the box to be viewed from above. ■ Have the students use white glue to attach all the parts of their assemblage. When the glue has dried overnight, set up a display of all the memory boxes. ■ Your students may be interested in shadow boxes. You may be able to find boxes with interior divisions, such as boxes used to package Christmas tree ornaments or various kinds of fruit, and use these interior divisions to create a shadow box display. A memory box with interior cardboard divisions (tiny interior shelves) can also be created by cutting and attaching strips of carefully measured cardboard to the inside of the box. In this way, memorabilia items need not be glued down but only set on the cardboard “shelves.” EXERCISE 9 MULTICULTURAL AWARENESS Discuss examples of papier-mâché sculpture that students may have seen such as piñatas (Mexico) or large modeled heads or floats used in parades, puppets, and masks (Europe, the Americas, Asia). Ask the students to explain why papier-mâché is used as a medium for those art forms instead of other materials. (In many cultures, paper is inexpensive or is saved and recycled. The paste for papier-mâché can also be made easily from a variety of inexpensive “sticky” materials, such as flour and water.) This is a good way to introduce and motivate students for a class papier-mâché project. EXERCISE 10 COMMUNITY AWARENESS Have the students do research on the buildings within the block or area nearest to their homes. Have them focus on the materials that have been used and varied textures or patterns they see. Suggest they draw the materials, patterns, or textures on unlined index cards and place labels on the back of each card, naming the material. If they are unable to name the material, an adult may assist or the drawing can serve as a reference for library research. When the drawings are completed, have the class sort and help to display them in groups
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in relation to the type of materials (brick, concrete, etc.). Discuss the variety of drawing styles for each material as well as actual variations in how the materials are used (brick patterns, concrete that imitates the appearance of natural stone).
CHAPTER REVIEW 1. Define three-dimensional art and give two examples. 2. Choose the answer that best completes the following statements about three-dimensional activities and the child first learning to use clay. a. Children first learning to use clay (a) make basic forms with clay. (b) combine basic forms to make objects. (c) squeeze the clay in an uncontrolled way. b. Children using clay for the first time work with clay in a way similar to the way they draw in the (a) scribble stage. (b) basic forms stage. (c) pictorial stage. c. For children first learning to use clay the most important thing about working with clay is (a) what they can make with it. (b) how it feels. (c) how they can control it. d. The best kind of clay for children first learning to use clay is (a) potter’s clay. (b) oil-based, plasticene. (c) ceramic, nonelastic clay. 3. Decide which answer best completes each statement about three-dimensional activities and the child who can draw basic forms. a. A child who can draw basic forms (a) cannot make similar forms in clay. (b) can make clay into similar forms. (c) combines these forms to make clay objects. b. Rolling clay to make balls is an example of (a) lack of motor control. (b) uncontrolled movement like scribbling. (c) a basic form in clay. c. Children can make basic forms in clay because they (a) can name their clay objects. (b) now have better motor control. (c) do not have enough motor control.
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d. Some simple basic forms that children can make in clay are (a) balls, boxes, and coils. (b) flowers, houses, and animals. (c) triangles, hexagons, and octagons. 4. Choose the answer that best completes each statement about three-dimensional activities and the child in the pictorial stage of drawing. a. Most children like to make (a) nothing in particular with clay. (b) just balls and boxes with clay. (c) definite things with clay. b. When working with clay, a child in the pictorial stage can (a) combine basic forms to make a definite object. (b) make only basic forms in clay. (c) make only uncontrolled hand movements with clay. c. A simple combination of basic forms in a clay object is a (a) house with four floors of clay and a four-part chimney. (b) clay box. (c) man made of a round ball head and a stick-type body. d. When children in the pictorial stage name their drawings, they (a) have no motor control. (b) also name their clay objects. (c) are not yet ready to name their clay objects. e. When children name clay objects, it means they are in the related two-dimensional stage called the (a) scribble stage. (b) basic forms stage. (c) pictorial stage. f. A more complex combination of basic forms in clay is a (a) man made with feet, fingers, hands, and arms. (b) clay man with feet, fingers, hands, and arms. (c) clay ball. g. When a child makes a clay figure with many more details than another figure, it means (a) nothing of any particular importance. (b) that it is an important figure for the child. (c) that it is a simple combination of basic forms.
5.
6. 7. 8.
9. 10. 11. 12. 13. 14.
h. When a clay object is made large, it means the object (a) is a basic form. (b) is not very important (c) stands for something important. Describe the right room setup for clay work, in regard to (a) table type (b) location of clay tables (c) number of children at table (d) amount of clay for each child (e) kind of storage container for clay List the types of modeling materials and tools appropriate for young children. Discuss how modeling benefits young children. List several suggestions to make working with modeling materials a successful experience for young children. What is assemblage? Give examples of assemblage activities. List the materials and tools needed for assemblage activities for young children. List appropriate materials and tools for cardboard construction activities. Discuss the value of woodworking in the early childhood art program. List some specific equipment required for woodworking experiences for young children. Describe the role a teacher must play in woodworking experiences for young children.
REFERENCES Clemens, S. C. (1991, Jan.). Art in the classroom: Making every day special. Young Children, 4–11. Edwards, B. (1979). Drawing on the right side of the brain. Los Angeles: Jeremy P. Archer. Miller, S. A. (1993, Feb.). Messy play. Scholastic Pre-K Today, 32–40. Szyba, C. (1999). Why do some teachers resist offering open-ended art activities for young children? Young Children, 54 (1), 16–20.
ADDITIONAL READINGS Bronson, M. B. (1995). The right stuff for children birth to 8: Selecting play materials to support development. Washington, DC: NAEYC. Dever, M. T., & Jared, E. J. (1996). Remember to include art and crafts in your integrated curriculum. Young Children, 51(3), 69–73.
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Hirsch, E. (Ed.). (1998). The block book (3rd ed.). Washington, DC: NAEYC. Koster, J. (1999, March). Clay for little fingers. Young Children, 54(2), 18–22. Koster, J. B. (2001). Growing artists: Teaching art to young children (2nd ed.). Albany, NY: Delmar. Planje, A. (1997). Playing with water in primary ways. Young Children, 52 (2): 33. Staley, L. (1998). Beginning to implement the Reggio philosophy. Young Children, 53 (5), 20–25. Swentzell, R. (1992). Children of clay: A family of Pueblo potters (we are still here.) Minneapolis, MN: Lerner. Wilson, R. A. (1995). Nature and young children: A natural connection. Young Children, 50 (6), 4–11.
BOOKS FOR CHILDREN PRESCHOOL Awan, S. (1996). Fabulous faces. New York: Firefly Books. Bruna, D., & Crampton, P. (1998). Miffy at the museum. New York: Simon & Schuster. Burkett, L. (2000). Sarah and the art contest. Chicago: Moody Press. Burns, K. (1996). In the sand: A pull-the-tab and lift-theflap book. Boston: Little Brown. Derolf, S. (1997). The crayon box that talked. New York: Random House. Gilliland, J. (1995). Not in the house, Newton! Boston: Houghton Mifflin. Johnson, T. P. (1998). Blue’s clues: Arts & crafts. Burbank, CA: Nickelodeon/Paramount. Kesselman, W. A. (1993). Emma. New York: Doubleday. Kohl, M. A. (1992). Mud works. Minneapolis, MN: Bright Ring Publishing. Strom, M. D. (1999). Rainbow Joe and me. New York: Lee & Low. Trenc, M. (1993). The night at the museum. New York: Barron’s. Vaughn, M. K. (1995). Hands, hands, hands. Greenvale, NY: Mondo. Waldman, N. (1999). The starry night. Honesdale, PA: Boyds Mills Press.
KINDERGARTEN–GRADE 3 Baylor, B. (1987). When clay sings. New York: Atheneum. Carroll, C. (1996). How artists see animals: Mammals, fish, birds, reptiles. New York: Abbeville. Chanko, P., & Chessen, B. (1999). Clay art with Gloria Elliott. New York: Scholastic. Dixon, A. (1990). Clay. New York: Garnett Educational Company.
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Florian, D. (1991). A potter. New York: Greenwillow. French, I. (1991). The magic vase. New York: Oxford University Press. Gardner, J. M. (1993). Henry Moore: From bones and stones to sketches and sculptures. La Grange, GA: Four Winds. Hawkinson, J. (1974). A ball of clay. Chicago: Whitman. James, B. (1998). The mud family. New York: Oxford University Press. Labato, A. (1994). Paper bird. Minneapolis, MN: Carolrhoda. Ray, M. L. (1999). Basket moon. Boston: Little Brown.
GRADES 4–5 Estermann, M. M. (1990). A fish that’s a box: Folk art from the National Museum of American Art, Smithsonian Institute. Washington, DC: Great Ocean. Romei, F. (1995). The story of sculpture. New York: Bedrick. Pekarik, A. (1992). Behind the scenes: Sculpture. New York: Hyperion. Solga, K. (1992). Make sculptures! Cincinnati, OH: North Light. Walter, F. V. (1994). Fun with paper bags and cardboard tubes. New York: Sterling.
SOFTWARE FOR CHILDREN PRESCHOOL Disney’s magic artist studio. (1999). Burbank, CA: Disney Interactive. Disney’s print studio: Winnie the Pooh. (1997). Burbank, CA: Disney Interactive. Fine artist. (1993). Redmond, WA: Microsoft. The discovery toolkit. (1995). Portland, OR: Pierian Springs Software.
KINDERGARTEN–GRADE 3 Crayola 3D castle creator. (1998). Atlanta, GA: IBM Corporation. Create and play. (1997). Los Angeles: Cloud 9 Interactive. Creation corner. (1999). Atlanta, GA: IBM Corporation. Disney’s magic artist studio. (1999). Burbank, CA: Disney Interactive. Disney’s print studio: Winnie the Pooh. (1997). Burbank, CA: Disney Interactive. Elmer’s cut & build 3D. (1998). Santa Clara, CA: PanaKids. Elmer’s tool kit. (1998). Santa Clara, CA: PanaKids. Fun with architecture. (1997). New York: Learn Technological Interactive (Voyager).
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Hot wheels custom designer. (1997). El Segundo, CA: Mattel Media, Inc. Kid pix studio deluxe. (1998). Cambridge, MA: The Learning Company/Broderbund. LEGO creator. (1998). Enfield, CT: LEGO Software. LEGO friends. (1998). Enfield, CT: LEGO Software. LEGO land. (1998). Enfield, CT: LEGO Software. LEGO loco. (1998). Enfield, CT: LEGO Software. LEGO racers. (1998). Enfield, CT: LEGO Software. LEGO rock raiders. (1998). Enfield, CT: LEGO Software. Maisy’s animated playhouse. (1999). New York: Macmillan Digital Publishing. Matchbox caterpillar construction zone. (1998). Cambridge, MA: Mattel Interactive. Nick-o-matic design factory. (1998). Cambridge, MA: The Learning Company. Purple moon secret paths to your dreams CD-ROM. (1999). Cambridge, MA: Mattel Interactive. The bald-headed chicken. (1998). Batavia, IL: D.C. Heath. The discovery toolkit. (1995). Portland, OR: Pierian Springs Software.
Disney’s magic artist studio. (1999) Burbank, CA: Disney Interactive. Doodle-motion. (1993). Los Angeles: Screen Magic. Elmer’s cut & build 3D. (1998). Santa Clara, CA: PanaKids. Elmer’s tool kit. (1998). Santa Clara, CA: PanaKids. Fine artist. (1993). Redmond, WA: Microsoft. Fun with architecture. (1997). New York: Learn Technological Interactive (Voyager). Kid pix studio deluxe. (1998). Cambridge, MA: The Learning Company/Broderbund. LEGO creator. (1998). Enfield, CT: LEGO Software. LEGO friends. (1998). Enfield, CT: LEGO Software. LEGO land. (1998). Enfield, CT: LEGO Software. LEGO loco. (1998). Enfield, CT: LEGO Software. LEGO racers. (1998). Enfield, CT: LEGO Software. LEGO rock raiders. (1998). Enfield, CT: LEGO Software. Nick-o-matic design factory. (1987). Cambridge, MA: The Learning Company. The bald-headed chicken. (1998). Batavia, IL: D.C. Heath. The discovery toolkit. (1995). Portland, OR: Pierian Springs Software.
GRADES 4–5 Crayola 3D castle creator. (1998). Atlanta, GA: IBM Corporation. Create and play. (1997). Los Angeles: Cloud 9 Interactive. Creation corner. (1999). Atlanta, GA: IBM Corporation.
For additional creative activity resources, visit our Web site at www.EarlyChildEd.delmar.com.
SECTION 5 Play, Development, and Creativity REFLECTIVE QUESTIONS After studying this section, you should be able to answer the following questions. 1. Does the environment I create for young children provide space, time, and opportunities for all types of play? 2. What instructional strategies are most conducive to spontaneous play? To organized play? 3. Do my curriculum and instruction fit the levels of play most characteristic of children in my group? 4. What role does play have in the total development of young children? 5. How will I address the needs of multicultural students in play opportunities? 6. How can I plan and arrange the classroom environment so young children are encouraged to play in a way that emphasizes problem solving and exploration? 7. What can I learn about young children by observing their dramatic play? 8. Do my instructional strategies promote young children’s dramatic play? 9. Have I included enough dramatic play materials for all the developmental levels and multicultural backgrounds of my children? 10. How can I include parents in planning creative and dramatic play opportunities for young children? 11. What is the relevance of dramatic play and free play activities to the lives of young children?
THE ROLE OF CREATIVE PLAY IN DEVELOPMENT OBJECTIVES After studying this chapter, you should be able to: 1. Name and discuss the four kinds of human growth that are influenced by play. 2. Describe differences in the way infants, toddlers, preschoolers, and school-age children play. 3. Define solitary, parallel, associative, and cooperative play.
Some children are busily involved in activities in an early childhood program. One group of children is removing the wheels from the wooden trucks in the room. Now they are having races by pushing the wheelless trucks along the floor. One child notes the scraping sound being made, while another discovers that the trucks without wheels make marks on the floor. One child is preparing a tea party for three friends. The child has baked an imaginary cake and has just finished putting on icing. Now the table is being set and the chairs arranged. Another group of children is carefully observing several small furry animals on the other side of the room.
A
re these children working? Are they playing? Is there a difference between work and play for a young child? Must children be involved in games in order to be playing? Must toys be involved? Is play natural or can children be taught to play?
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The answers to these questions are important. They help define the meaning of the word play. The answers lead to an understanding of how children benefit from creative play. They give direction for the purchase and placement of creative materials that guide children’s play. They help adults plan activities that help children grow through creative play.
WHAT IS PLAY? For adults, play is what they do when they have finished their work. It is a form of relaxation. For young children, play is what they do all day. Playing is living, and living is playing. Young children do not differentiate between play, learning, and work. Children are by nature playful. They enjoy playing and will do so whenever they can. Challenges intrigue them. Why do children love to play? Because play is intrinsically motivated—that is, no one else tells them what to do or how to do it. An activity
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child pretends to do things that he really does in everyday life (e.g., sleep, eat). For example, the child might lie down or put his head down, close his eyes, and put his thumb or blanket to his mouth, but do so in a manner that suggests he is not really sleeping. He may indicate that he’s pretending by only half-closing his eyes or by briefly closing and then opening his eyes and looking at you to see if you catch on. Often children smile when they are pretending to sleep.
A creative activity, not a production. Adults should not concern themselves with what the children might produce during play. The outcomes are never certain. The play is dominated by the players.
A total activity. Children become completely involved as they play. Thus, play may last a long time or it may end quite suddenly. FIGURE 14–1
Free play with water is always a popular choice for young children.
ceases to be play, and children’s interest dwindles, if adults structure or even interfere inappropriately with play. For older children, learning may be work. When they complete their work, then they can play. For young children, mental development results from their play. Growth of their ability to deal with the problems of life—social development—results from play. Growth of their imaginations results from play. Muscles develop in play, as well. Play is an activity. It does not necessarily result in a product. It may involve one child or groups of children. It may be built around toys and tools or may involve nothing more than the child’s imagination. A play period may last a few minutes or go on for days. Most people who have studied play agree on one thing about its meaning: No single definition or statement can describe the true meaning of play. Therefore, the best way to define play is not to define it at all, but to look at its characteristics. CHARACTERISTICS OF PLAY
A natural part of a child’s life. Adults do not have to tell children how to play. The first gestures of pretend play appear as early as 12 or 13 months. This is seen as the child briefly touches the telephone to her ear or as she briefly puts the bottle in the doll’s mouth.
Self-directed. Adults should not interfere because play is determined by the personality of the player, not the desires of adults. In the early stages of play, the
A sensitive thing for children. Play may sound noisy, and children may seem deeply involved, yet it can be easily destroyed by interference from other children or suggestions from adults. There is no blueprint for play—no right way or wrong way to play. It is a highly creative and highly individualized activity requiring active involvement of the players. TYPES OF PLAY There are two main types of play: free (or spontaneous) play and organized play. In either type, children may work alone or in a group. Each type may involve materials and equipment, or it may not. Basically, free play, as its name suggests, is flexible. It is unplanned by adults. It is a self-selected, open exercise. The following scene depicts free play. Two teachers I know regularly take their class to a park where there is no equipment. At first the children were disoriented, thinking there was nothing to do. The adults purposely got busy preparing food, and in time the children began to lead each other into forays of discovery. They climbed trees and fences and hills; hid from each other in the bushes; chased each other; and collected sticks and discovered pinecones, pebbles, feathers, and wonders of all sorts. They brought treasured items back and came for help when others got stuck in hard-to-get-out-of places. The adults limited them to a large, but visible, area. This was excellent teaching, nonintervention to let children find their own fun.
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FIGURE 14–2
A young toddler often engages in solitary play.
Organized play is also open and flexible. However, some structure is provided in terms of materials and equipment. Teachers can promote organized play by providing representational toys and dress-up clothes. Representational toys are toys that strongly resemble real objects, such as dolls, toy vehicles, dishes, cooking utensils, stoves, telephones, and doctor kits. Dress-up clothes can include handbags, lunch boxes, briefcases, hats of various kinds, and jewelry. These representational toys prompt children to pretend to engage in the activities of others, to do the things they see adults do. This is often called “dramatic” play as children act out the roles of grown-ups in their lives. (More specific information on dramatic play is provided in Chapter 15.) They pretend to feed the baby, drive to work, cook dinner, talk on the telephone, and so forth. Props relevant to the children’s culture and community can enrich the children’s efforts to construct and express their understanding of significant events and people in their lives. SEQUENCE OF PLAY There is a general sequential order of play activities that may be observed in young children. These types of play activities, may be classified according to stages. In early toddlerhood, a child at first generally plays alone. This stage is termed solitary play. Using all of their senses, children explore long before they use any objects in their play. They touch, smell, see, and listen. Manipulating and handling materials are important parts of play experiences. In these early play experi-
FIGURE 14–3
Group time activities offer opportunities for associative play.
ences, children are more involved with the manipulation of materials than they are with the uses of them. Gradually, as the toddler’s social realm expands, she will engage in parallel play. Parallel play occurs when a child plays side by side with other children, with some interaction, but without direct involvement. As the number of relationships outside the home increases, the child’s ability to play with other children develops further. At this point, the child may engage in associative play. This type of play may take the form of a child merely being present in a group. For example, a child who participates in fingerplays during circle time or group time would be said to be engaging in associative play. Common activities occur between children. They may exchange toys and/or follow one another. Although all the children in the group are doing similar activities, specific roles are not defined, and there is no organized goal (such as building something or pretending to have a tea party). Eventually, as they grow more comfortable with their social ties, young children will begin to talk about, plan, and carry out play activities with other children. This type of play, marked by mutual involvement in a play activity, is called cooperative play. Children cooperate with others to construct something or act out coordinated roles.
IMPORTANCE OF PLAY IN CHILD DEVELOPMENT Creative play activities influence children’s total growth, including physical, mental, emotional, and social growth.
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FIGURE 14–4
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In cooperative play, children talk about, plan, and carry out play activities.
PHYSICAL GROWTH Play contributes to muscle development in many ways. Throwing a ball or lifting objects helps children’s muscles develop. Placing an object on top of another and grasping tools also add to a child’s muscle development and hand–eye coordination. Play that requires children to look for objects, feel textures, smell various odors, hear sounds, and taste substances help them develop their senses. Children spend hours perfecting such abilities in play and increasing the level of difficulty to make the task ever more challenging. Anyone who has lived or worked with one-year-olds will recall the tireless persistence with which they pursue the acquisition of a basic skill like walking. In older children, this repetitious physical activity is also a major characteristic of play. It is evident on playgrounds, where we see children swinging, climbing, or playing ball with fervor. As a child gains control of her body, her self-concept is enhanced. When a child runs, she feels exhilarated. When she uses her last bit of strength to accomplish a goal she herself has set, she gains a better sense of self. As the child discovers her own strength, she develops a concept of herself as a competent individual. A young child is quite physical in her play, playing with her whole being. As she plays, she decides what to do and how to do it; she does her own planning and implements her plans in her own ways. When children have a chance to be physically active, they continually gain strength. As they become more adept, they become more adventurous and learn to take reasonable risks to test their strength. When children set their own challenges, they are less likely to have accidents. Without predetermined goals, they can pace themselves and discover what they can and can-
FIGURE 14–5
Play activities like climbing promote the development of large motor skills.
not do. A child aged 5–8 years in the middle childhood years develops physically in his play. At the beginning of this period of growth, the child is almost continuously active, whether he is standing or sitting. Toward the end of this period, however, movements of the eight-year-old have become fluid and graceful. He has developed poise. In fact, he is continually on the go— jumping, running, chasing, or wrestling. There is an increase of speed and smoothness in fine motor movements. He approaches objects rapidly and smoothly, and releases them with sure abandon. Organized games with rules to follow are beginning to be popular with this age group. During the later childhood years (in grades 4–5), the need for vigorous play is still important for children. A glance at children of this age group reveals one factor that stands out above all others. Children of this age vary widely. The group may be about the same age, even in the same grade, but there the similarities end. They vary widely in their size, interest, activities, and abilities and these differences, in turn, influence every aspect of the child’s development. The child himself,
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MENTAL GROWTH
FIGURE 14–6
In grades 4–5, the need for vigorous play is still important for children.
other children, parents, and teachers should realize that these differences are quite normal. This age group has good muscular control, a general increase in strength, is particularly sturdy, keenly interested in sports, and acquires the skills for games readily. Watching them at play, one often wonders if they ever get tired. They have a lot of stamina. Arms grow longer, hands and feet bigger. Children at this stage are often clumsy and awkward due to the uneven growth of the different body parts. Eight-to-twelve year-old children select increasingly demanding physical play, which gives them a greater opportunity to develop muscle control and coordination. At this age, boundless amounts of energy and enthusiasm are hallmarks of their play. Children in this group enjoy running, tumbling, climbing on jungle gyms, and swinging. As they grow in motor skills and confidence, they begin more advanced forms of play such as roller skating, skipping rope, skate boarding, and throwing and catching. Children’s increased physical abilities and improved coordination also allow participation in team sports and other organized activities in which one’s physical ability affects the outcome of the game.
Play helps children develop important mental concepts. Through play activities, a child learns the meaning of such concepts as up and down, hard and soft, and big and small. Play contributes to a child’s knowledge of building and arranging things in sets. Children learn to sort, classify, and probe for answers. Playing outdoors children learn to sense differences in their world as the seasons change and as they observe other subtle changes every day. Piaget (1962) feels that imaginative play is one of the purest forms of symbolic thought available to the young child. According to Piaget, it permits the child to fit the reality of the world into her own interest and knowledge of the world. Thus, imaginative play contributes strongly to the child’s intellectual development. Some researchers even maintain that symbolic play is a necessary part of a child’s development of language (Dyson, 1991; Kagan, 1990; Monighan-Nourot, 1990). Play also offers the child opportunities to acquire information that sets the foundation for additional learning. For example, through playing with blocks a child learns the idea of equivalents (that things can be equal) by discovering that two small blocks equal one larger one; or through playing with water or sand, she acquires knowledge of volume, which eventually leads to developing the concept of reversibility. A child gains an understanding of his environment as he investigates stones, grass, flowers, earth, water, and anything else around him. Through these experiences, he eventually begins to make his own generalizations: Adding water to earth makes mud. A puddle of
FIGURE 14–7
In play, children enter into their own private worlds.
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Software, such as for chess, requires that children think and participate in active decision-making, while other software requires writing and complex thinking. As technological advances become commmonplace in our society, children will have even greater access to problem-solving programs, CD-ROMs, videodiscs, and simulation programs. Many eight-to twelve-year-old children who have benefited from computer use in schools are sufficiently computer literate to “play” with the many technological advances. EMOTIONAL GROWTH FIGURE 14–8
Social growth occurs when children play together and learn to share space and time.
water disappears in sand. The inner part of a milkweed pod blows away in the wind. Wet socks can be dried out in the sun. As children play, they develop spatial concepts; as they climb in, over, and around the big box in the yard, they clarify concepts of “in,” “over,” and “around.” They hear someone call the box a “gigantic” box and “gigantic” becomes a new word. In the sandbox, words such as “deep,” “deeper,” and “deepest” begin to have meaning.
One of the keys to the quality of children’s emotional health is how they feel about themselves. Creative play activities help a child develop a positive self-concept. In play activities, there are no right or wrong answers. Children are not faced with the threat of failure. They learn to see themselves as capable performers. Even when things do not go well, there is little pressure built into play. Thus, young children learn to view themselves as successful and worthwhile human beings through creative play. This is an important first step in developing a positive self-concept. Children also learn to express and understand their emotions in creative play experiences. They may be observed almost anyplace in the early childhood setting expressing their feelings about doctors by administering shots with relish or their jealousy of a new baby
OLDER CHILDREN’S PLAY AND COGNITIVE DEVELOPMENT Older children learn many concepts through play. They learn about such things as rules of the game and strategies in play. They begin to learn about their own skill levels in various activities and develop preferences for specific sports and activities. Children’s increasing cognitive abilities allow them to participate in more advanced forms of organized games and team activities where rules guide actual behaviors. Although younger children often play together (though actually, they may be only playing near each other), they also often play alone. Eight-totwelve-year-olds might also play alone either by choice or or by necessity. However, their increasing cognitive abilities (especially in those ten to twelve years of age) allow them to play with others in situations requiring consistent, complex rules. The cognitive abilities of tento twelve-year-olds also allow for more advanced forms of play such as word games, riddles, and other literacyrelated play. Today’s technology allows older children many new forms of play. Children can play a wide array of computer games either alone or with another child.
FIGURE 14–9
Play is vigorous and exciting for older children.
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by reprimanding a doll, but creative play is not necessarily limited to the expression of negative feelings. The same doll that only a moment ago was being reprimanded may next be lulled and crooned to sleep in the rocking chair. Another emotional value of creative play is that it offers the child an opportunity to achieve mastery of her environment. She has control of the situation, using what props she chooses and in the manner she prefers. She is in command. She establishes the conditions of the experience by using imagination and exercises her powers of choice and decision as the play progresses. Play is a safe and acceptable way to test out the expression of feelings. Through play a child can recreate experiences that have been important to her and elaborate on experiences that have special meaning. She can relieve anxiety or stress through play activities and feel perfectly safe in doing so. For example, Susan gets pleasure out of hammering on a piece of wood. She feels strong as she swings the hammer and sees the deep indentations she is making in the wood. Woodworking, thus, is providing a medium through which she can release tension or aggression in an acceptable way. Children in the middle and upper elementary grades grow emotionally when engaged in play with their peers. Playing together, children learn to accept each other’s styles and personalities, and learn how it feels to be accepted for their own. Once the child gains acceptance among the peer group, he begins to have selfrespect and feels confident and adequate in attempting new problems and activities.
SOCIAL GROWTH Children learn social skills as they relate to others during play. As a child becomes proficient in his social relating, he learns to deal with more than one person at a time. As a group participant, he finds not everyone behaves in the same way and that some forms of behavior are not acceptable. When Claire takes a block from Jimmy’s building, Jimmy pushes her away. Next time, she does not try that. In one situation, Claire learns that crying will get her what she wants, while in another it does not work at all. Children establish social relationships as they sit side by side playing with clay, dough, and other manipulative materials. A child discovers that he can make some decisions about what he will or will not do. If a child does not wish to push a wagon, he can play somewhere else. He cannot, however, always be the one to tell others what to do. Sometimes he takes the role of leader and sometimes he finds the role of follower satisfying.
FIGURE 14–10
Play experiences allow children opportunities to work out their differences.
When children play together, they learn to be together. The development of common interests and goals takes place among children during creative play. They must learn to “give a little” as well as “take a little” when involved in creative play activities. Whether two small children are arguing over the possession of a toy or a group of children are playing together on a jungle gym, play helps children grow socially. Ten- to twelve-year-old children, in particular, develop the social skills necessary to participate in complex, cooperative forms of play. Their enhanced social skills allow them to see others’ perspectives and allow them to realize the benefits of playing social and cooperatively with other children. At this age, play that requires social skills, might consist of games, team sports, and organized activities. Children, especially ten- to twelve-year-olds, shift allegiance from parents and teachers to peers. They are beginning to seek freedom and independence, which results in their playing away from home and often away from direct adult supervision. Children might visit ball fields, playgrounds, and recreation centers where others play or where special equipment is available to them. At school, teachers can assist older children through play activities at recess, noon, or during class time to become more proficient in skills for ordinary games. Yet, the acquisition of physical skills needed in ordinary games involves more than physical maturation. It is a matter closely tied to social adjustment. A child who is socially comfortable with other children will try and try until he can participate without ridicule from others. The teacher needs to help children
CHAPTER 14 The Role of Creative Play in Development
feel socially comfortable in the area of games. This developmental task is actually enhanced when facilities, equipment, and play space are made available for children of this age group. Too often, the importance of vigorous play for children of this age group is overlooked because they seem so “grown-up.”
STAGES OF PLAY The kinds of creative play activities enjoyed by young children are different at various age levels. INFANTS AND TODDLERS Play activities for infants and toddlers, especially in group settings, come from a variety of sources. In one sense, there is really very little mystery about how to play with a baby. Appropriate play activities are very much like the activities of an attentive, responsive parent who is able to help the infant busily enjoy each day. Some play activities, however, are particularly good for building intellectual and sensorimotor skills.
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Play activities for infants and toddlers also derive from traditional preschool programs. Play dough, water, music, puzzles, climbers—all of these have always been suggested as appropriate for young children, and research findings and developmental theories have shown that they are good for toddlers as well. Play activities for infants are often tied to developmental markers or age- and stage-determined abilities and interests of the child. Games and play opportunities that are intended to enhance an emerging skill or interest are suggested. Young infants, for example, love faceto-face talking and grasping rattles, partly because they are trying to recognize people and voices and partly because they are building their touching and grasping skills. Older infants love peek-a-boo games and manipulative toys; they are at a developmental stage when these are challenging and satisfying. Age categories can, however, create problems in the selection of play activities for infants and toddlers. Inappropriate activities can restrict or pressure children by creating false expectations. For example, any activity that is incorrectly determined to be too easy or too difficult may not be attempted when it could have sat-
Setting the Stage for Play
Considering all the discussion in this chapter about the pure, spontaneous nature of children’s play, you may be led to believe all a teacher needs to do is step back and “let it happen.” Yet, the teacher’s role in setting the stage for play is highly active and multifaceted. In fact, everything the teacher does is an intervention. Researchers tell us that we can think of intervention on a range from direct to indirect. Preparing the room and scheduling the day are at the indirect end, while intervening as an artist assistant, matchmaker, peacekeeper, parallel player, spectator, or coach are all examples of more direct interventions necessary to children’s play. Teachers assume many roles as they intervene during play. For example, as “artist assistant,” the teacher helps remove clutter around an ongoing play episode so that children can maintain the focus of their play. As “peacemaker,” the teacher helps children resolve disputes by suggesting alternative roles or materials or by interpreting children’s motives. As “guardian of the gate,” a sensitive teacher can help a child gain access to play without violating the rights of the players in an ongoing episode. As “matchmaker,” the teacher deliberately helps particular children play with one another. In the role of “parallel player,” the teacher uses similar material and plays next to the child, thereby suggesting new variations. As “spectator,” the teacher helps children extend their play by commenting on it from “outside” the play theme, e.g., “Are you using the fireman’s hat today?” Finally, teachers can also act as play “participants” by taking active roles in children’s play. (“Yes, I would love some of your rice cakes.”) Teachers, in less direct interventions, schedule the day to be conducive to children’s play. The day needs to have a lengthy free-choice time, allowing children enough time to move from the exploration of objects into play with them and to construct, elaborate, and refine the products of their imaginations (Ervin-Tripp, 1991; Kagan, 1990; Smilansky & Shefatya, 1990).
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FIGURE 14–11
Young children enjoy dramatic play. They often act out every day events in their lives.
At this age, children not only use a variety of real objects as play symbols, they also incorporate imaginary objects and beings into their play. At age two children usually support their ideas of imaginary substances and things with real objects. For instance, imaginary coffee is poured from a toy pot and drunk from a toy cup. The pot and the cup support the idea of the coffee, thus making it easier to imagine that coffee is being poured and drunk. Later, children will include imaginary elements that are not so strongly supported by play materials. For example, a three-year-old pretended to see a fly, swat it, carry it to the trash, and then wash her hands (Gowen, 1995). Other instances of children’s symbolic play have been observed in early childhood programs. Children pay for groceries with imaginary money, ride imaginary motorcycles, include imaginary playmates in their play activities, and eat a variety of imaginary foods. The inclusion of imaginary elements in play indicates that the child can entertain these ideas without them being tied to concrete objects and real beings. As the child’s representational abilities develop, she can imagine objects and beings and more readily symbolize them with words alone. FOUR-YEAR-OLDS
isfied the child’s needs for challenge or for practice. Books, water play, and simple nesting toys, for example, may be postponed to toddler ages, but they can also be enjoyed by younger infants. On the other hand, complex puzzles, art projects, or group story times may be attempted too early, which will frustrate the young toddler. Age definitions, here or elsewhere, should be evaluated by the teacher and adjusted for individual children and programs.
OLDER TWO- AND THREE-YEAR-OLDS Children in this age group enjoy dramatic play. They often pretend to be another member of their own immediate family when they are involved in this kind of play. They may act out the part of their mothers or fathers, by cooking, cleaning, caring for others (dolls), driving an imaginary car to the store, or mowing the lawn. Three-year-olds also like to pretend they are television characters. They find it difficult to separate real people from “pretend” people when they are playing. Therefore, they often become convinced that they really are some imaginary person. They may even become angry when an adult uses their real name rather than their imaginary one. However, children of this age shift their roles very quickly, often from moment to moment. A child may be a horse one minute and a jet pilot the next.
Four-year-old children’s play often reflects more aggressive activity. Playing monster or ghost characters is one of their favorites. Dramatic play involving aggressive television characters is also common. There is a tendency to act out male or female roles to an extreme. They like to wear costumes that show the strength of the character. Four-year-olds are better coordinated in using tools and equipment than three-year-olds. An interesting trait at this time is that of hiding things. Toys, tools, and blocks are often buried in the sandbox. The children delight in playing hide-and-seek. Four-year-olds differ most from three-year-olds in their ability to distinguish the real from the imaginary. They are beginning to know the difference between playing a character and actually being the character. As children become more sophisticated in their play, they begin more and more to think ahead and plan how the play will go. Initially this planning takes the form of simple announcements about what they will do. Another way in which children show evidence of planning is when they search for the “right” object to serve as a play symbol. For instance, a four-year-old who was pretending to play hockey paused in his “hockey game” to search through toys and play materials until he found a purse, which he opened and put on his head. He declared that it was his “helmet” and resumed his “hockey game.”
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Playful Teachers . . . Are You One?
Teachers have firsthand understanding of the role of play in the lives of the children in their care. But are teachers of young children likely to acknowledge playfulness in their own lives? Bettye Caldwell (1985) tells us that adult play is likely to be more convergent, structured, and governed by rules than children’s play. Adults may say that they are going to “play” tennis, yet when they do so, there is no resemblance to what we observe when young children play. Caldwell discussed the “play paradox”: adults may be less likely to play with children than to assume the role of teaching children how to play. She says: We’re talking about having adults, who don’t know how to play, teach children, who know quite well how to play. In other words, if we want to improve the play of children, we’re using the wrong teacher. We’re using people whose play is not at all playful (1985, p. 169). Teachers who are playful may be more likely to play with children. Likewise, playful teachers are more likely to observe children’s play from the children’s perspective; they may also find situations in which they can be role models for exploration, divergent thinking, problem finding, and problem solving—that is, creativity.
HOW PLAYFUL ARE YOU? Playful teachers have a natural advantage when facilitating creativity in the children in their group. The following list is adapted from the description of playfulness as a psychological concept by Rubin, Fein, and Vandenberg (1983). (Italics are the author’s.):
1. Playful teachers are guided by internal motivation. 2. Playful teachers are oriented toward process. 3. Playful teachers attribute their own meanings to objects or behaviors and are not bound by what they see.
4. Playful teachers focus on pretend (“what if” or “as if”). 5. Playful teachers seek freedom from externally imposed rules. 6. Playful teachers are actively involved. There is a natural match between playfulness and creativity. Teachers who are aware of these traits may be more likely to enter children’s play with no expectation for the outcome, thus providing a relaxed, evaluation-free play environment. Contrast this to the less playful teacher who plays a play activity with a very narrow performance goal in mind and then directs the children’s play toward that goal. Now, ask yourself, “Am I a playful teacher?”
FIVE- AND SIX-YEAR-OLDS By the time children are five years old, planning sometimes becomes the predominant behavior in their play episodes. They will spend a lot of time discussing and negotiating with other children about who will play what role and what will happen. This negotiation process contributes to their construction of knowledge of events and roles and to the development of social skills. Children of this age play out their fears and sometimes relieve their aggressions through dramatic play.
Rather than hit another child, a five-year-old pretends to be a ghost who frightens that child. Dramatic play becomes more complicated in the roles children play and characters they become. Some characters are taken from everyday life (a firefighter or nurse), and some are made-up characters (a space adventurer or queen). Five-year-olds become interested in their bodies and sometimes play “doctor” with children of the opposite sex. They also show some interest in romance by playing bride-and-groom games.
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KINDERGARTEN–GRADE 3 The 5- to 8-year-old experiences a physical thrust into a world of play characterized by games which require new skills. They are learning to refine such skills as throwing, catching, and tossing. They are learning the rules and basic strategies of games such as baseball, basketball, and soccer. It is important for children of this age to have play space and materials to practice these emerging skills. Through play, children of this age learn about society and the various roles expected of them. Each year, as the child grows older, he is given more opportunities in school, church, and different community organizations for organized play. He learns to play with other people, especially children of his own age and level of ability. As a result, there is a gradual increase in social participation throughout the middle childhood years. As he gains more social experiences at school and with peers, his friends become an influential factor in his life. One of the most important peer group influences is independence from parents as he becomes an individual in his own right. Through association with peers in play and games, the child learns to think independently, to make his own decisions, to accept points of views and values not shared by his family, and to learn forms of behavior approved by the group to which he belongs.
organized (structured) or spontaneous (free). It may involve dramatics or special equipment, or it may take the form of a game. Play usually develops in a natural sequence that evolves from a child’s level of socialization. The sequential stages of play include solitary, parallel, associative, and cooperative play. The needs of children are met through creative play. They learn about themselves, others, and the world around them through their play activities. Creative play has specific purposes in the early childhood program— to promote physical, mental, social, and emotional growth. Observation of children engaged in creative play will reveal some differences (stages) of play. Play is quite different for three-year-olds than it is for fiveyear-olds. Three-year-old children often cannot separate the real from the pretend. They prefer to be characters about whom they know something. Four-yearolds tend to be aggressive and play characters that enable them to display their aggressive feelings. Fiveyear-olds can separate the real world from the world of their imaginations. They are better able to control their emotions. Older children enjoy games that allow them to perfect skills achieved at earlier ages. They enjoy games with rules. In games and other play activities, social and emotional development are as important as physical development to this age group.
GRADES 4–5 To be accepted by their peer group is of vital importance to this age group. Playing together allows children to get to know one another and to accept each other’s skills and abilities. This age is characterized by a real or apparent dislike of the opposite sex. Girls no longer play with the boys and vice versa. Spontaneous and free-play games will more than likely be single-sex groups. Children of this age group are achieving a greater degree of personal independence. The teacher can assist in this personal independence by minimizing adult organization of activities in recess and other freetime periods. With this age group, a teacher must maintain a fine line of balance—some freedom, some direction, and some authority. The teacher as a key adult figure will still need to provide direction in some play activities, yet also give the children an opportunity to function on their own as much as possible in play.
SUMMARY Play is a central part of the lives of young children, not something to do when work is finished. Play may be
KEY TERMS associative play cooperative play free play imaginative play
organized play parallel play solitary play spontaneous play
LEARNING ACTIVITIES A. Observe children of various ages at play. Without letting them know you are watching, observe one or more children from each age group at play for periods of at least ten minutes for each group. How are the play activities similar? How are they different? Observe children in these two groups: (1) kindergarten–grade 3 and (2) grades 4–5. How are their play activities similar? How are they different? What were the most prevalent forms of play observed in each group? Were you surprised by what you saw? Why or why not? B. Select one play activity and discuss how it contributes to a child’s growth in each of four areas of
CHAPTER 14 The Role of Creative Play in Development
development discussed in this chapter (physical, mental, social, emotional). Choose an activity for each of the age groups discussed in this chapter. Compare and contrast the activities for each age group. C. Observe the dramatic play of a group of three-yearolds and a group of five-year-olds. In what ways is their play different? How is it similar? Observe dramatic play for a group of children in each of these age groups: (1) kindergarten–grade 3 and (2) grades 4–5. In what ways is their dramatic play different from each other? How is it similar? Did you observe anything that surprised you? Share your observations with your fellow students. D. A game to try is called the Animal Cracker game. It is an example of a game that children enjoy and one that helps the student develop a better understanding of the creative possibilities of games. 1. Obtain a box of animal crackers. Stand before a full-length mirror and, without looking, take one of the crackers from the box. Look at and then eat the cracker. With that action, you “become” the selected animal for two minutes. Observe your behavior as that animal. Do this a number of times. 2. Answer the following questions about this activity: a. How did you feel about doing this? b. How is creativity different from silliness? c. How do games help people develop creativity or become more creative?
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pretend they are a huge, quiet mountain. You, or someone in the group, can describe the peaceful scenes you might see below. C. Cat. Find a comfortable way to curl up like a cat and pretend to be sleeping in a warm, comfy place, like near a fireplace or in a sunny place. Then wake up and stretch. D. Turtle. Pretend you are a turtle by rounding your back like a shell and tucking your head, arms, and legs under the shell. Hold this pose for a bit, then very slowly stretch out your neck, arms, and legs (Church, 1993). The following are some creative play activities that require the use of large muscles and that promote large (gross) motor skills.
Guess What I Am Without saying a word, a child tries to act out the movements of some object. This may be an airplane making a landing, a rooster strutting around the barnyard, a cement truck dumping its load, or a clock telling the time of day. The child may think up things to do, or the teacher may whisper suggestions.
Water Play A water table or a large tub is filled with water and used for creative water play. Children pour, mix, and stir the water. Soap may be added so they can create suds, too. They may also enjoy using water and a large paintbrush to “paint” a fence or the school building. A variety of objects can be put together to make a boat that floats. (Aluminum foil works well for this.) Creative cleanup can be developed by children as they find how water, tools, and materials can help them clean up messes.
Playing with a Hose IMAGINATION EXERCISES Children enjoy “being” animals or other “pretend” things. These activities are good for large muscle development as well as for creative play. In these activities, encourage children to move slowly and quietly. Once they interpret the object or animal in their own way, suggest that they hold the positions while continuing to breathe slowly. A. Tree. Together, close your eyes and think about different trees you’ve seen. Then stand up and raise your arms to look like a tree. Breathe slowly in and out and try to hold the pose for about 30 seconds. B. Mountain. Begin by sitting on the floor, legs crossed, or sitting in any position that’s comfortable. Then, slowly raise your arms to create a mountain peak. As you hold the position, ask the children to
A child enjoys playing with a hose connected to an outlet with the water on strong. The children learn about what happens when they put their thumbs over the nozzle. They discover the push effect as water leaves the hose. They make rain by sprinkling water into the air. They create a rainbow. They hear different sounds as the water strikes different materials. For a realistic gas pump hose to use outdoors with riding toys, fit an old piece of garden hose with a pistol grip nozzle. These nozzles are available at hardware stores.
Toddler’s Play ■ Cardboard boxes offer toddlers the opportunity for a great deal of beneficial play. Take sturdy cardboard boxes of different sizes and tape them together with packing or duct tape to form long “trains.”
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Make segments of varying heights by propping some boxes on sturdy pillows or padding. Then place the trains in a padded area or surround them with pillows. Encourage the toddlers to climb on top of the train at one end and crawl the length of the train. Moving up and down onto the different levels promotes motor planning, eye–hand coordination, and balance. You can also have them crawl through open boxes taped together in “tunnels,” which will increase their body awareness. ■ Stuff an empty tissue box with scarves or large pieces of nylon or similar fabric. Toddlers enjoy pulling the fabric out. Turn on some music and let the children dance with their scarves. ■ Add materials to a water or sand table. A large plastic tub or box can be a portable sand table. Put in foam packing “peanuts,” cotton balls, shredded paper, or even dirt. Hide some small plastic toys in the box. Give a child some scoops, funnels, or cups to dig for fun and good hand–eye coordination.
Using Empty Cartons Many children receive toys that come in large cartons. After a short time, many of these children put aside the fancy toys and play with the empty cartons. In view of this, it makes sense to provide such boxes for children to play with. The boxes can be used in many creative ways—they can be arranged into trains, serve as houses and stores, and used as a cave or hideaway. Children can paint the outsides and insides.
ACTIVITIES FOR OLDER CHILDREN (GRADES 4–5) ELECTRONIC PLAY FOR OLDER CHILDREN Software companies have put back the “fun” in learning fundamentals, releasing dozens of consumer games that teachers have now adopted for classroom use. Here is a brief description of some of the best and most popular electronic educational games.
Critical Thinking/Puzzle Solving Games ■ Activision’s Shanghai Dynasty—This game develops strategy, matching and memory skills, inviting children to remove pairs of titles from an electronic game board. Older players win if they remove all 144 titles. Younger children can play in Kids’ Mode with as few as 28 titles. Kids’ Mode game pieces are decorated with letters, numbers, or pictures of household items to improve reading, arithmetic, and problem-solving skills.
■ Broderbund’s Logical Journey of the Zoombinis— This is a collection of 12 brain-teasing puzzles, challenging enough for adults, but developed with kids in mind. Play revolves around guiding bands of cute animated Zoombini characters to freedom. ■ Hasbro’s Smart Games 1 and Smart Games 2— These are two wonderful collections of word, strategy, and perceptual challenges that are easy to play, but hard to master. ■ Sierra’s Incredible Machine—This game has 150 puzzles that require players to use animated levers, pulleys, and other gadgets to accomplish seemingly simple tasks. ■ Humongous Entertainment’s Freddi Fish 3: The case of the stolen conch shell—This is an adventure game that sends children on a mission to save the annual Founder’s Day Festival by tracking down a missing conch shell. ■ Hasbro Interactive’s Mastermind—This is a codecracking mind stumper requiring players to deduce the correct pattern of four color pegs in 10 turns or less. ■ Mindscape’s Chessmaster 6000—This is an electronic chess game that provides tutorials, rated game play against 95 components, plus an interactive database of over 300,000 games.
CHAPTER REVIEW 1. List the four areas of development that are enhanced by play activities. 2. Explain the sequence in which play develops and the characteristics for each stage. 3. Describe and compare the characteristics of play for an infant, toddler, two and one-half-year-old, and four-year-old. 4. Describe the characteristics of play of children in kindergarten–grade 3 and grades 4–5.
REFERENCES Caldwell, B. M. (1985). Parent-child play: A playful evaluation. In C. C. Brown & A. W. Gottfried (Eds.), Play interactions: The role of toys and parent involvement in children’s development, 167–178. Skillman, NJ: Johnson & Johnson. Church, E. G. (1993, Feb.). Moving small, moving quiet. Scholastic Pre-K Today, 42–45. Dyson, A. H. (1991). The roots of literacy development: Play, pictures, and peers. In B. Scales, M. Almy, A. Nicolopoulou, & S. Ervin-Tripp (Eds.), Play and the social context of development in early care and education, 98–116. New York: Teachers College Press.
CHAPTER 14 The Role of Creative Play in Development
Ervin-Tripp, S. (1991). Play and language development. In B. Scales, M. Almy, A. Nicolopoulou, & S. Ervin-Tripp (Eds.), Play and the social context of development in early care and education, 84–97. New York: Teachers College Press. Gowen, J. W. (1995). Children, play and development (2nd ed.). Boston: Allyn & Bacon. Kagan, S. L. (1990). Children’s play: The journey from theory to practice. In E. Klugman & S. Smilansky (Eds.), Children’s play and learning: Perspectives and policy implications, 173–185. New York: Teachers College Press. Monighan-Nourot, P. (1990). The legacy of play in American early childhood education. In E. Klugman & S. Smilansky (Eds.), Children’s play and learning: Perspectives and policy implications, 59–85. New York: Teachers College Press. Piaget, J. (1962). Play, dreams and imitation in childhood. New York: W.W. Norton. Rubin, K. H., Fein, G. G., & Vanderberg, B. (1983). Play. In E. M. Hetherington (Ed.), Handbook of child psychology: Socialization, personality and social development (Vol. 4). 693–744. New York: Wiley. Smilansky, S., & Shefatya, L. (1990). Facilitating play: A medium for promoting cognitive, socioemotional and academic development in young children. Gaithersburg, MD: Psychosocial and Educational Publications.
ADDITIONAL READINGS Bennett, N., Wood, L., & Rogers, S. (1997). Teaching through play: Teacher’s thinking and classroom practice. Buckingham, England: Open University Press. Caldwell, B. M. (1985). Parent-child play: A playful evaluation. In C. C. Brown & A. W. Gottfried (Eds.), Play interactions: The role of toys and parental involvement in children’s development, 167–178. Skillman, NJ: Johnson & Johnson. Church, E. G. (1993, Feb.). Moving small moving quiet. Scholastic Pre-K Today, 42–45. Fromberg, D., & Bergen, D. (Eds.). (1998). Play from birth to twelve and beyond. New York: Garland. Göncü, A. (Ed.). (1999). Children’s engagement in the world: Sociocultural perspectives. New York: Cambridge University Press. Owocki, G. (1999). Literacy through play. Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann. Reifel, S. (Ed.). (1999). Play and culture studies: Play contexts revisited (Vol. 2). Stamford, CT: Ablex. Rogers, C. S., & Sawyers, J. K. (1999). Play in the lives of children. Washington, DC: NAEYC. Saracho, I. N., & Spodek, B. (Eds.). (1998). Multiple perspectives on play in early childhood education. Albany, NY: State University of New York Press. Sutton-Smith, B. (1998). The ambiguity of play. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press.
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BOOKS FOR CHILDREN PRESCHOOL Alexander, M. (1998). Lily and Willy. New York: Candlewick. Berenstein, S. (1987). The Berenstein bears and the trouble with friends. New York: Random House. Berry, H. (1994). Busy Lizzy. Miami, FL: North-South. Butterworth, N. (1995). When we play together. Boston: Little Brown. Cousins, L. (1992). Maisy goes to the playground. New York: Candlewick. Davenport, A. (1999). Playing inside the Tubbytronic Superdome. New York: Scholastic. Ford, M. (1995). Bear play. New York: Greenwillow. Gundersheimer, K. (1995). Find cat, wear hat. New York: Cartwheel. Gundersheimer, K. (1995). Splish splash, bang crash. New York: Cartwheel. Hines, A. G. (1993). Moompa, Toby and Bomp. New York: Clarion. Larsen, M. (1996). Barney plays nose to toes. Allen, TX: Lyric Publishing. Loomis, C. (1997). Cowboy bunnies. New York: Putnam. McBratney, S. (1996). The caterpillow fight. New York: Candlewick. Nagel, K. B. (1993). The three young maniacs and the red rubber boots. New York: HarperCollins. Oppenheim, J. (1999). Oppenheim toy portfolio baby and toddler play book. New York: Oppenheim Toy Portfolio. Roddie, S. (1997). Toes are to tickle. Berkeley, CA: Tricycle Press. Schubert, L. (2000). Winnie plays ball. New York: Candlewick. Vulliamy, C. (1994). Boo baby boo! New York: Candlewick. Walker, S. (1995). Walt Disney’s puppies at play: A 101 Dalmations word book. New York: Disney Press. Walsh, J. P. (1996). Connie came to play. New York: Viking. Yee, P. (1995). Let’s play. New York: Viking. Zoehfeld, K. (1999). Pooh plays doctor: Book and kit with toy. New York: Mouse Works.
KINDERGARTEN—GRADE 3 Bird, D. (2000). Safety plays. New York: Barricade Books. Bonsall, C. N. (1999). The day I had to play with my sister. New York: HarperCollins. Brown, R. S. (1996). Carmine wants to play! Glendale Heights, IL: Great Quotations. Cimbalik, K. (2000). Have fun with me: What kids think every grown-up needs to know about play. Naperville, IL: Sourcebooks.
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Cole, J. (1998). The magic school bus plays ball: A book about forces. New York: Scholastic. Cosby, B. (1997). The best way to play. New York: Scholastic. Day, A. (1998). Follow Carl! New York: Farrar, Straus & Giroux. Doyle, C. L. (1998). You can’t catch me. New York: HarperCollins. Grindley, S., & Ellis, A. (2000). Can we play, too, Piglittle? New York: Barron’s. Halberstam, D. J. (2000). Playing for keeps: Michael Jordan and the world he made. New York: Broadway Books. Heidbreder, R., & Patkau, K. (2000). Python play and other recipes for fun. Buffalo, NY: Stoddart Publishing. Jordan, A. (2000). Play ball! New York: Golden Books. Kasza, K. (2000). Dorothy and Mikey. New York: Putnam. Parish, P. (1995). Play ball, Amelia Bedelia. New York: HarperCollins. Rabe, T. (1999). Bear in the big blue house. New York: Random House. Rice, M. (2000). Play together, learn together. Helena, MT: Kingfisher. Strete, C. K. (1999). The lost boy and the monster. New York: Putnam. Waddell, M. (1998). You and me, little bear. New York: Candlewick. Welch, W. (2000). Playing right field. New York: Scholastic. Wolf, W. (2000). Let’s go to the videotape: All the plays— and replays—from my life in sports. New York: Warner Books. Zakes, M. (2000). She plays with darkness. Laurenceville, NJ: Africa World Press.
GRADES 4–5 Castaldo, N. F. (1996). Rainy day play!: Explore, create, discover, pretend. Charlotte, VT: Williamson Publishing. Christopher, M. (1995). Pressure play. Boston: Little Brown. Christopher, M. (1997). Double play at short, (Vol 52). Boston: Little Brown.
Costello, E. (1998). Foul play. New York: Bantam Doubleday. Dadey, D., & Jones, M. T. (1994). Skeletons don’t play tubas. New York: Scholastic. Dadey, D., & Jones, M. T. (1995). Zombies don’t play soccer. New York: Scholastic. Dadey, D., & Jones, M. T. (1997). Bogeymen don’t play football. New York: Scholastic. Dadey, D., & Jones, M. T. (1999). Goblins don’t play video games. New York: Scholastic. Hines-Stephens, S. (1998). Bean’s games. New York: Harcourt. Hubbell, P. (1998). Pots and pans. New York: HarperCollins. Hughes, D. (1998). Brad and Butter play ball! New York: Random House. Hughes, D. (1999). Play ball, (Vol. 1). New York: Simon & Schuster. Kim, J., & Soo-Hyun, J. (1995). A learn to play guide to the ultimate game. New York: Good Move Press. Macy, S., & Gottesman, J. (1999). Play like a girl: A celebration of women in sports. New York: Holt. Napoli, D. J. J. (2000). Playing games. New York: Simon & Schuster. Ripken, C., & Bryan, M. (1999). Cal Ripken, Jr.: Play ball. New York: Putnam. Rock, M. (1998). Totally fun games to play with your dog. New York: Wiley. Rowland, P. T., & Hamlett, C. (1998). Hairum scarum! Middleton, WI: Pleasant Company. Scott, N. S. (1999). Smart soccer: How to use your mind to play your best. Brookfield, CT: Millbrook. Stewart, W. (1999). Baseball oddities: Bizarre plays and other funny stuff. New York: Sterling. Twain, M. (1998). Huckleberry Finn. (Adapted by Bob Blaisdell) Mineola, NY: Dover Publications. Wallace, J. (1999). The autobiography of baseball: The inside story from the stars who played the game. New York: Abrams.
For additional creative activity resources, visit our Web site at www.EarlyChildEd.delmar.com.
THEORY INTO PRACTICE: CREATIVE ACTIVITIES FOR THE EARLY CHILDHOOD PROGRAM Infusing a creative approach into every area of early childhood curricuS E CTIO N 6 lum is the focus of Part 2. Building and expanding on the theory presented in Part 1, the chapters in Part 2 cover several other phases of the Creative Activities in early childhood curriculum in which a creative approach is appropriate. Other Curricular These curricular areas include dramatic play and puppetry, movement, music, language arts, science, math, food experiences, social studies, and Areas health and safety. Also included in Part 2 are chapters on how to incorporate multicultural holidays in the early childhood curriculum. S E CTIO N 7 Chapters on the seasons are also included in Part 2 and contain a wealth of art activities, games, fingerplays, songs, and group projects. Creative All of the activities presented in Part 2 are based in developmental theCelebrations: ory, yet are simple to reproduce and expand upon. All are presented in the hope that they will be adapted to children’s individual needs, abiliHolidays in the Early ties, and interest levels. They are designed in this way to be springboards to many learning experiences limited only by the child’s and teacher’s Childhood Curriculum imagination and creativity. Unlike simple manipulation of media, such as pounding clay and finS E CTIO N 8 ger painting, the activities offered in this section generally require more Seasons: Aesthetic skill on the part of the children and more instruction (at least initially) by the teacher. They tend to have a more definite focus and direction. In Awareness using these activities, there must be considerable latitude allowed for individual ideas to be expressed. These are valuable activities that provide opportunities for purposefulness and challenges to skills that children will appreciate. They also increase the variety of experiences available to young children in full-day centers. In all chapters in Part 2 the teacher should always consider the developmental level of a child or a group of children before initiating any activity. Activities are included for children from preschool through grade 5. Appropriate age and/or grade levels are indicated on these activites. Finally, while guidance of a child’s activities is appropriate, each child should be given the freedom to adapt these activities and the processes used to his or her own creative needs. In other words, the approach should not be “What is it?” but “Tell me about what you’ve made.” Most important, emphasis in all activities should be on the process and not the end product. Rather than displaying a model or sample product at the beginning of an activity, have the children talk about their own ideas and plans for the activity. The beginning, middle, and end of every activity is the child— unique and singular in his or her own way.
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SECTION 6 Creative Activities in Other Curricular Areas REFLECTIVE QUESTIONS After studying this section, you should be able to answer the following questions. 1. Do I use puppets as an instructional tool for encouraging creativity and dramatic play? 2. Have I included enough materials for puppet making for all the developmental levels and multicultural backgrounds of my children? 3. Have I provided opportunities for young children to express themselves creatively in movement and music activities? 4. How will I modify my language arts activities so that they are appropriate for the multicultural children in my group? 5. At what levels of listening skills are the young children in my group? Do my lessons and activities meet these individual levels? 6. Have I presented language arts experiences that are appropriate to the children’s current level of emerging literacy? 7. How can I be sure my classroom centers and activities are conducive to the young child’s active science exploration? 8. Am I aware of the different levels of mathematical thinking present in my group of children? 9. Are my teaching practices reflective of the anti-biased curriculum principles? 10. Have I planned food and nutrition experiences for young children so that they are developmentally appropriate? Do they help establish lifelong positive habits? 11. Do my room arrangement and instructional strategies emphasize appropriate health and safety practices for the young children in the group? 12. In what way can I improve the science experiences for young children in my program? 13. In considering my language arts curriculum, what are the areas I most need to improve? What positive steps can I take to implement these improvements? 14. In what ways are children verbalizing their mathematical thinking? Do I encourage this process by providing materials and activities that foster mathematical thinking? 15. As I evaluate my classroom’s physical arrangement, how can I adjust it to better represent the curriculum areas of most importance to the young children who use it? 16. Does my current math and science curriculum provide an appropriate match to the developmental levels of the children in my group? 17. What are some specific ways I can be more creative (in my instructional strategies) in curriculum areas outside the arts curriculum? 18. How can I integrate art and creative activities into my entire curriculum? 19. In what way can I improve the range of language arts experiences so that the language arts are related to other curriculum areas? 20. Do my teaching and classroom practices emphasize respect for individual differences in language development? Individual differences in math and science understanding? Individual cultural differences? 21. In what way am I ensuring that young children grow in their understanding and respect for each other as unique and different individuals? 22. Have I planned to include parents and community members in my development of curriculum? 23. What is the relevance of my curriculum to young children’s lives? 24. What role should young children play in planning the early childhood curriculum? 25. What skills do young children, who will live in the 21st century, need to learn in the early childhood curriculum? 26. Can I verbalize the rationale for each area of my curriculum and how it helps develop the creativity of young children?
DRAMATIC PLAY AND PUPPETRY OBJECTIVES After studying this chapter, you should be able to:
1. Give the objectives of dramatic play. 2. Discuss the importance of dramatic play to a young child’s development. 3. Discuss the difference between dramatic play and creative dramatics. 4. Discuss appropriate ways to use puppets in the early childhood program.
A
disturbing sight in some early childhood settings is a small group of children tensely acting out a play. The lines are memorized and said in a stilted, artificial manner. The children feel and look out of place in the costumes they are wearing. They may be excited, but many are also frightened—afraid of tripping or spoiling the show. Adults can be found looking on and making remarks like, “Isn’t that cute?” Adult anxiety for the children is hidden by nervous laughter. An even more common response on the child’s part is to say and do nothing, the safest way to avoid making a mistake in front of one’s parents. This is not creative dramatics; it is a mistake. The error is made because the play is meant to please adults rather than to relate to children.
IMPORTANCE OF DRAMATIC PLAY Dramatic play is an excellent means for developing the creativity and imagination of young children, who have
instinctive ways of dealing with reality. They need no written lines to memorize or structured behavior patterns to imitate to fantasize their world. What they do need is an interesting environment and freedom to experiment and be themselves. One of the best ways children have to express themselves is through creative dramatic play. Here, they feel free to express their inner feelings. Often, teachers find out how children feel about themselves and others by listening to them as they carry out dramatic play. The pretending involved in such dramatic experiences, whether planned or totally spontaneous, is a necessary part of development. In the home center with dramatic kits and in other such activities, children can act out feelings that often cannot be expressed directly. For example, the child who is afraid of the doctor can express this fear by giving shots to dolls or stuffed animals in the home center. In a like manner, a child can act out with a friend a visit to the doctor. Thus, children can learn to deal with their anxieties as well as act out their fantasies through creative dramatic play. Through the imitation and make-believe of dramatic play, children sort out what they understand and gain a
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FIGURE 15–1
For young children, dramatic play might involve toys and equipment or just the power of their imaginations.
measure of mastery and control over events they’ve witnessed or taken part in—making breakfast, going to work, taking care of baby, and going to the doctor. The logic and meaning of these events often escapes young children, but dramatic play helps them enter and begin to make sense of the world of adults.
THE BEGINNINGS OF DRAMATIC PLAY The beginning of dramatic play is visible in the actions of children as young as one year, who put a comb to their hair, for example, and pull it along the side of their face, imitating the activity that has been performed on them with the same “prop.” Given the right prop, the baby will imitate the behavior associated with that prop. For example, if offered a cup, the baby drinks; a hat, the baby puts it on his head; or a sleeping pillow, the baby puts his head on it. Adults often describe this as pretend play, but it is more accurately pre-pretend play, because it involves only actions that are known to the child. Actual dramatic play begins when a child uses a prop for something other than the activity for which he has seen it used by an adult. Thus, a hairbrush becomes a sailing boat; a wooden block, a hairbrush; or a stick, a bridge. This usually happens when the child is about two years old; that is the age when children seem to be capable of making an “as if” transformation of an object, a necessary prerequisite to pretend play involving objects, others, and themselves.
FIGURE 15–2
Children enjoy many different types of creative dramatics, such as hand puppets.
DEVELOPMENT OF DRAMATIC PLAY As children grow and develop, so does their dramatic play. From simple imitative movement, children move on to more complex dramatic play. It is very important for teachers of young children to be very good observers and listeners, to see what children play with, to watch what they do with the materials, and to listen to what they say about the props and materials provided to them. It is equally important that the teacher becomes part of the play of the child, but— and this is essential—at the child’s present developmental level. We all remember the relative who insisted that the Fisher Price garage could only be a garage, not
FIGURE 15–3
For creative dramatics, children do not need very elaborate equipment to enjoy themselves.
CHAPTER 15 Dramatic Play and Puppetry
a part of the fortress wall, and the legendary behavior of the father who gives the young child a gift of an electric train or racing car set and proceeds to insist that it be played with in terms of adult reality—it must represent the Grand Prix, we must stay with the same color car, and there can be no cheating by having one car fly over the other to win. He ends up playing by himself as the child returns to the blocks where he is allowed to pretend without adult guidance and limitations (Weininger, 1988). Many times creative dramatics begins with one child, and others soon join in. Playing store with a storekeeper and a number of customers is a form of creative dramatic play. Speaking on a toy telephone to a friend is another form. Puppet shows in which children use finger puppets and make up a story as they go along is still another form (Figure 15–4).
Teachers of young children encourage children’s dramatic play by providing kits containing “props” for them to use. Dramatic play kits are created by assembling a variety of available everyday items into groups that have a common use or theme. Children select the props and use them in groups or alone to play roles or create dramatic play experiences. Just letting the children know about the use of these kits is often enough to get them started. Materials for these dramatic kits can be kept together in shoe boxes or other containers. Some common types of dramatic play kits are:
Post Office and Mail Carrier Index card file, stamp pads, stampers, crayons, pencils, Christmas seals, envelopes, hats, badges, mail satchel, supply of “resident” or other 3rd class mail
Firefighter
Dramatic play occurs daily in the lives of young children. It is one of the ways that children naturally learn. They constantly imitate the people, animals, and machines in their world. They enjoy re-creating the exciting experiences of their lives. Dramatic play is their way of understanding and dealing with the world. Dramatic play is also an important medium for language development, as it encourages fluency in language. A child who is reluctant to speak in other situations is almost compelled to speak in order to be included in dramatic play. As play becomes elaborate, a child’s language becomes more complex. When children talk with each other in a nondirective setting, such as the housekeeping center, it is possible for the flow and quality of language to develop. If others are to understand her role, a child needs to explain what she is doing so that her friends will respond in appropriate
Beauty Salon Small hand mirrors, plastic combs and brushes, cotton balls, towels, scarves, clip-on rollers, colored water in nail polish bottles, empty hair spray containers, wigs, play money, blow-dryer
Grocery Store Old cash register or adding machine, play money, paper pads, pencils or crayons, paper bags, empty food cartons, wax fruit, grocery boxes, cans with smooth edges
Plumber Wrenches, sections of plastic pipes, tool kit, hats and shirts
Painter Paint cans full of water, brushes of different sizes, drop cloth, painter’s hat
Hats, raincoats, badge, boots, short lengths of garden hose
Mechanic
Cooking
Entertainer
Pots, pans, eggbeaters, spoons, pitchers, flour sifter, metal or plastic bowls, salt and pepper shakers, aprons, measuring spoons and cups, egg timer
Cleaning Small brooms, mops, feather duster, cakes of soap, sponges, bucket, toweling, plastic spray bottles, clothesline, clothespins, doll clothes to wash
Doctor Tongue depressors, old stethoscope, satchel, bandages, cotton balls, uniforms
FIGURE 15–4
Dramatic play kits.
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Tire pump, tool kit, boxes to become “cars,” shirt, hat Records, cassette tapes, record player, cassette tape player, musical instruments, costumes Many more dramatic play kits can be added to this list. It is important to encourage both boys and girls to assume a variety of roles. Imagination can also be used to transform regular classroom items into “new materials.” Chairs can become trains, cars, boats, or houses. A table covered with a blanket or bedspread becomes a cave or special hiding place. Large cardboard cartons that children can decorate become houses, forts, fire stations, and telephone booths.
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Developmentally Appropriate Dramatic Activities
The following personal story of a first-year teacher provides an excellent example of a developmentally inappropriate dramatic activity. Teachers can benefit greatly from reading, rereading, and sharing this story with other teachers and parents, too! It was time for the annual Christmas program. Because I doubled as the music teacher, my principal appointed me chair of the program committee. I was excited! This was my first year teaching, my first class of five-year-olds, and the principal wanted me to be in charge of the Christmas program. I decided that the whole school would do The Nutcracker Suite, complete with costumes, music, props, and all the embellishments. I was eager to impress the parents and the other teachers, so I decided to teach my kindergarten boys “Dance of the Toy Soldiers.” For weeks, I taught these children perfect steps, perfect timing, turn right, stand still, curtsy, and step-and-turn. At first, the children seemed to enjoy it, but as the days and weeks went on, they started resisting going to practice or would actually beg not to have to do “the program” again. On several occasions, some complained of being tired and some were discipline problems . . . disrupting, acting out, hitting, and being generally unhappy; however, we did make it to the big night. The parents loved the performance. We all congratulated ourselves on a wonderful program. I remember talking with a first-grade teacher about how much the children loved it and what a good time they had. The truth is that the children were exhausted. They were fidgety and irritable, tired and pouty. After a long weekend, the children returned to school and seemed to be the happy, well-adjusted children they had been before I had had this brilliant idea of performing. Young children, as you know, are so resilient. In the weeks that followed, they didn’t want me to play music during center time. I would put on a Hap Palmer album, and they would argue about the right and wrong way to “march around the alphabet.” Why would kindergartners turn against the sacred Hap Palmer? They didn’t want to hear the music from the ballet. Just the mention of the words “dance” or “costume” or “program” would change them into terrors. It wasn’t until years later that I came to know that I had forced these little children to perform (under the name of “creative arts”—specifically, “dance”) in ways that were totally inappropriate for children their age. Not only had I involved them in a developmentally inappropriate practice, I had imposed my own ideas of how to be a flower and a toy soldier without regard as to how they might interpret or create their own ideas, thoughts, fantasies, or forms of expression (Edwards & Nabors, 1993, p. 78).
ways. If she is to understand what they are doing, she must listen. When children become involved in complex makebelieve, they need to listen and respond to each other. A child speaks convincingly to others when she wants them to change the nature of the play. If they still do not understand, she may try to find other ways to persuade them. When she needs to elaborate on her ideas, she is likely to use a longer sequence of words and move from two words to more complex syntax. As children play together they learn new words from each other. At their make-believe restaurant, Maria prepared tacos and Justin ordered fruitcake from the menu. Justin liked the sound of the new word, “tacos.” He pretended he was eating one, even though he did not know what a “taco” was.
As children play, they repeat words and phrases they have learned and enjoy saying them. They name objects, talk about what they are doing, and plan as they go along. They begin to recognize the importance of planning and take time to formulate more detailed plans for their dramatizations.
DRAMATIC PLAY IN THE HOME (OR HOUSEKEEPING) CENTER One of the best places for children to express themselves in creative, dramatic play is the housekeeping or home center. Here, in a child-sized version of the world, children are free and safe to express how they feel about
CHAPTER 15 Dramatic Play and Puppetry
FIGURE 15–6 FIGURE 15–5
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Dramatic play may take place outdoors as well as indoors.
Children grow in self-confidence as they engage in dramatic play activities.
themselves and others. While they carry out dramatic play in the housekeeping center, they can pretend to be many different kinds of people, “trying on,” so to speak, many social roles. (Figure 15–7 presents a summary of basic home center experiences and equipment.)
The home (housekeeping) and creative dramatics center provides endless opportunities for the teacher, as a facilitator of learning, to broaden the children’s horizons. The center can be decorated and rearranged to represent an area that pertains to a specific content. Possibilities include creating a home, hospital, post office, grocery store, and more. The change of seasons
Activities in this center afford the child experiences in the following: ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■
clarifying adult roles trying out social skills getting along with others sharing responsibilities making group decisions controlling impulsive behavior
■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■
recognizing cause and effect developing positive attitudes about one’s self and others enjoying the fantasy of the grown-up world using oral language spontaneously practicing the use of symbols, which are subskills in reading learning social ease and confidence in his own strengths
Materials:* Full-length mirror Stove Refrigerator Sink Closet or rack of clothes Cooking/eating utensils Table and chairs Tea set Telephone Stethoscope Props for cleaning (broom, mop, dustpan, pail, sponge, rags, duster)
Play dough Doll bed, doll carriage, baby highchair Rocking chair Empty cans, food boxes– multicultural foods Mirror/hand mirror Carriage Dolls/doll clothes–multicultural Iron/ironing board Puppets
*Add objects as needed for special emphasis.
FIGURE 15–7
Experiences and equipment in the home center.
A variety of hats, dresses, shirts, ties, belts, scarves, shoes, pocketbooks, and jewelry An old suitcase (for “trips”) A nurse’s cap (hypodermic needles—minus needles—pill bottles, a play thermometer) Play money An old briefcase Dress-up gloves, rubber gloves, baseball gloves, garden gloves
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as well as certain holidays can be easily incorporated in this center. For example, during fall, a child’s rake, sweaters, and pumpkins might be included in the center. During the winter months, mufflers, mittens, a child’s shovel, a holiday apron, candles, candlesticks, and bells may be additions to the center. For spring, the teacher may add plastic or silk flowers, and a variety of hats. The supplies in the housekeeping center should reflect the activities in the classroom and extend the skills being taught elsewhere in the room, as well as introduce new skills. Be sure to include clothing, dishes, and dolls that are familiar and represent each of the ethnic groups in your classroom.
It is important to emphasize a nonsexist approach in teaching, especially in the housekeeping area. For example, boys’ dramatic play must be encouraged in an early childhood program as much as the girls’ dramatic play. A good tactic to encourage boys’ participation is to change the themes of the dramatic play corner to topics that interest the boys, such as garage, doctor, boat, etc. An observant teacher, sensitive to both sexes’ dramatic play and developing sex-role concepts, even gives cues that encourage all children to play in all centers. Entering into the child’s dramatic play is an important point of consideration here. The teacher should not be the leader or the organizer of the dramatic play
Creative Dramatics in the Elementary Grades
While adults rely on reason and knowledge, children use play and imagination to explore and understand their world. It makes sense, then, for teachers to use these two resources—play and imagination—as a learning tool. Creative dramatics provides this venue, linking the world of play to the world of knowledge and reason. Dramatic play is an accepted part of the pre-school and kindergarten curricula. Yet, elementary teachers of young children often neglect this important learning tool for the elementary child. Creative dramatics is a form of imaginative play that helps students learn and uses no written dialogue. This makes it different from performing a play. Actors in a play read or memorize lines written by somebody else. In creative dramatics, actors create their own words to convey meaning. Some examples of a creative dramatics experience would be: ■ In a 3rd grade classroom, students using creative dramatics “become” metal containers, expanding with heat and contracting with cold. These expanding and contracting movements are put into a drama and eventually accompanied by a dance. ■ In a 1st grade classroom, children become clouds releasing raindrops, shimmery rays of sunshine, and seeds that grow roots, sprout, and squeeze their faces through the dirt. ■ A 4th grade teacher introduces a dramatic activity having individuals or small groups of students repeat the same line while portraying different qualities or characters. Say in a very mysterious way, “Are you going to wear the red hat to the fair?” Say in a very angry way, “Are you going to wear the red cap to the fair?” How might a mouse ask the same question? How might a spoiled rich kid ask the same question? The teacher repeats this using different lines, qualities, and characters. After five minutes, students are thinking creatively and are ready to move into a dramatic activity. ■ In a 3rd grade class students are performing The Three Billy Goats Gruff with a twist. The teacher tells the actors before they begin that they can only use dog language. That is, they will have to do the whole drama using only barks, yips, and pants. This forces the children to convey meaning and develop characterization using only their faces and bodies, while watching and reacting to other actors. In all of these examples, teachers are using creative dramatics to reinforce concepts in the curriculum. In the process, these teachers are creating an active learning experience that is fun, allowing the students to work together to achieve a common goal, and allowing everyone to be successful. This is the essence of creative dramatics. Creative dramatics is a form of imaginative play that helps elementary students learn in an active, enjoyable way.
CHAPTER 15 Dramatic Play and Puppetry
and must try not to form premature conclusions or make assumptions for the child. The teacher observes and asks questions about what the child says and helps to draw out information from the child, maintaining the conversation on the theme provided by the child, but at a pace that allows the child to feel comfortable and pleased with the conversation. The teacher also encourages children’s play by providing props that extend the play but do not change the theme. In doing so, teachers provide for further dramatic play and thereby create a more effective basis from which thought processes and imagination can develop. Teachers help children with their thinking by making statements about their work—not evaluative statements, such as, “I like your cake,” or assumptive ones, such as, “What a naughty cat, eating up all the meat!”— but statements of the obvious on which the child can expand, such as, “It’s a cake.” In the home center, dramatic experience often begins with one child, and others soon join in. In observing dramatic play in the home center with children of various ages, you can see definite age differences in their dramatic play. Younger children two to four years old generally are involved in such dramatic play for a much briefer period of time than children five years and older. Before the child is two years old, for example, he may say, “Nice baby,” when he hugs a doll and then move on. After the age of two, the child’s dramatic play may begin to combine several ideas, in contrast to the singleidea dramatization of the younger child. The older child may hold a doll and pretend to feed the “baby” his cookie, perhaps saying, “Eat, baby. Eat, nice baby.” He may decide to put the baby to bed, covering the doll with a blanket because it is time for “baby to take a nap.” This process of imitating what has been observed is called modeling behavior (Smith, 1987). Instances of such modeling behavior in the home center and elsewhere are even more prevalent in older children. For example, a five-year-old will feed the baby, discussing why milk was good for him, telling him it was nap time, and that children must “be good” and listen to their parents. This dramatization is in marked contrast to that of the two-year-old. Children involved in dramatic play in the housekeeping center also use materials from various parts of the room to support their play. For example, a child who needs some pretend money to put in her purse may decide to make some in the art area, or she might go to the manipulative area to gather beads, chips, or even puzzle pieces to use as money. Whether they are searching for materials or on their way to another related location, it is perfectly natural and appropriate for children involved in dramatic play to move about the entire space as part of their play.
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Confining role players to one area or part of the room frustrates rather than supports their intentions. When their use of space and materials conflicts with other children’s use of space and materials, the opportunity for group problem solving arises. Remember also to provide outdoor materials and equipment for pretending and role play. With more space and fewer boundaries, outdoor dramatic play is often robust and highly mobile. Children will make use of anything available—wagons, tricycles, and other wheeled toys for cars, buses, trains, and boats; large packing boxes, boards, sheets, ropes, and tires for houses, stores, forts, and caves; sand and sand utensils for cooking, eating, and building. They may also enjoy the addition of some “indoor” materials (hats, scarves, baby dolls, dishes, chalk) to their out-door dramatic play. CREATIVE DRAMATICS IN THE ELEMENTARY GRADES Dramatic play is the free play of very young children in which they explore their universe, imitating the actions and traits of those around them. It is their earliest expression in dramatic form, but it is not the same as creative dramatics. Dramatic play is fragmented, existing only for the moment. It may last for a few minutes or go on for some time. It even may be played repeatedly, but it is a repetition for the pure joy of doing. It has no clear beginning and no end and no development in the dramatic sense. Creative drama refers to informal drama that is created by the participants. It goes beyond dramatic play in scope and intent. It may make use of a story with a beginning, a middle, and an end. It may, on the other hand, explore, develop, and express ideas and feelings
FIGURE 15–8
Dramatic play can last only a few minutes or it can extend over a longer period of time.
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The following guidelines should assist you in getting started on creative dramatics for elementary students: ■ Provide a structure. While pretending is very natural for children, improvising a short drama can be an abstract process. Children will need structure to guide their actions and dialogue during the initial stages. The teacher can provide this structure by modeling and demonstrating the basic story, as well as possible actions, dialogue, and characterizations. It is best to keep early dramas short and simple, using only two to four characters. Older students and those with experience in creative dramatics will need less structure. ■ Encourage open-endedness. Creative dramatics is spontaneous and changeable. Although it works best when teachers provide a beginning structure, this structure should be flexible and open-ended. As students become more comfortable with creative dramatics, they will begin to use ideas and experiences from their own lives to create unique variations on the original themes. Using a prepared script would prevent this kind of creativity and individualization. It is a good rule not to use written dialogue. ■ Promote a safe environment. Creativity is enhanced when the teacher creates a fun, safe environment. Closing the classroom door during the initial learning stages of creative dramatics can help to develop a sense of safety and community. A teacher who is willing to take creative risks by modeling and participating in creative dramatics encourages the children’s participation. Positive, specific feedback that acknowledges actors and their efforts will put students at ease to continue acting creatively. Finally, a teacher should never force students to participate in creative dramatics; rather, she should always ask for volunteers. ■ Provide feedback. Students like to receive feedback, both formal and informal. Informal feedback is best when a teacher responds in a way that is appropriate to the dramatic experience; for example, laughing at the comedic parts. Once a drama is over, the teacher can give more formal feedback by processing the experience with students, recognizing those things that were done well. ■ Take your time. Allow students to slowly become comfortable with creative dramatics. Remember, creative dramatics is meant to be an enjoyable learning experience. Make having fun your number one priority. FIGURE 15–9
Steps to creative dramatics in elementary grades.
through dramatic enactment. (See “This One’s for You!” box in this chapter for examples of creative dramatic experiences.) It is, however, always improvised drama. Dialogue is created by the players, whether the content is taken from a well-known story or is an original plot. Lines are not written down or memorized. With each playing, the story becomes more detailed and better organized, but it remains extemporaneous and is at no time designed for an audience. Participants are guided by a leader rather than a director; the leader’s goal is the optimal growth and development of the players. The term creative drama is generally used to describe the improvised drama of children from age six and older. Creative drama offers elementary children the opportunity to develop their creativity and imagination. Few activities have greater potential for developing the imagination than creative dramatics. Creative drama offers an opportunity for children with handicapping conditions to participate in a performing art. Because of its flexibility, drama can be a joyful and freeing adventure for groups of all ages. Special needs can be served by adjusting emphases and activities to fit the ability level of the children. Through creative dramatics, the imagination can be stimulated and strengthened in elementary students. Figure 15–9 gives information on specific steps involved in setting up creative dramatic experiences for elementary children.
FIGURE 15–10
Soft cuddly animals fit right into children’s dramatic play activities.
CHAPTER 15 Dramatic Play and Puppetry
PUPPETS* Puppets can be used for almost any of the dramatic experiences that have been described here. They offer the child two ways to express creativity: (1) the creative experience of making the puppet and (2) the imaginative experience of making the puppet come to life. Puppets fascinate and involve children in a way that few other art forms can because they allow children to enter the world of fantasy and drama so easily. In this magic world, children are free to create whatever is needed right then in their lives.
USING PUPPETS The use of puppets usually begins in the nursery or preschool, where they are invaluable when readily available for dramatic play. Teachers can teach fingerplays with simple finger puppets; hand puppets can act out familiar nursery rhymes. Music time is enhanced by
FIGURE 15–11
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a puppet leading the singing and other puppets joining in. The shy child who is reluctant to sing often will participate through a puppet. Puppets are also excellent for concept teaching and can help clarify abstract concepts and demonstrate concrete concepts. For instance, in the preschool the concepts of “above,” “below,” “behind,” “in front of,” and so on can be clearly shown with the puppet. Puppetry, as a form of dramatic play, is a sure means of stimulating creative storytelling in younger children. Some teachers tape-record spontaneous puppet skits and by writing them down, show the children how they have created a story. In a room with a climate of flexibility and freedom, the children are bound to come up with countless other ideas for using their puppets, in addition to the following: ■ Put together a puppet center—puppet materials, props, and theater for children to use during the day.
A puppet can help a child express feelings in a safe, non-threatening way.
*Portions of this section adapted from the book The Magic of Puppetry: A Guide for Those Working with Young Children, by Peggy Davison Jenkins. © 1980 by Prentice-Hall, Inc. Published by Prentice-Hall, Inc., Englewood Cliffs, NJ 07632. Used with permission.
FIGURE 15–12
A hand puppet is one of the most basic puppet forms.
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■ Social studies is a natural area for puppets; it presents countless opportunities to dramatize holiday ideas, represent particular ethnic customs, or portray the roles of various community helpers. These suggestions are simply intended to be idea starters. The use of puppets in the classroom is limited only by imagination—yours and the children’s. KINDS OF PUPPETS Some of the most common and easiest puppets to make are stick puppets, hand puppets, finger puppets, people puppets, wooden spoon puppets, mitten and sock puppets, paper plate puppets, play dough puppets, styrofoam ball puppets, vegetable (fruit) puppets, Ping-Pong ball puppets, and cylinder puppets. (See Appendix G for puppet patterns.)
FIGURE 15–13
Detergent bottle puppet rack.
■ Recycle small plastic detergent bottles for a hand puppet rack. Bolt these small detergent bottles to scrap lumber and your puppets will have a “home.” See Figure 15–13, for a diagram of this puppet rack. ■ Consider having a specific puppet for each center area. This puppet could remind the class that it is music time, for instance, and be used to give directions and explain new concepts. If the puppet has trouble in an area, the children could teach it and straighten out its confusion. Through such dramatic experiences, self-confidence and skills are strengthened. ■ Felt boards and puppets work well together. A puppet with hands can effectively help the adult or child put pieces on or take them off the felt board. One teacher who was teaching toddlers the parts of the face used a rather “stupid” puppet that kept making mistakes by putting the parts in the wrong place. The children had a lot of fun correcting it. ■ In music experiences, teachers find that puppets help young children develop a feeling for rhythm and music interpretation by moving the puppets to the beat. They also encourage reluctant children to sing, since the puppet does the singing for the child. Puppets with moving mouths are most effective but not necessary. One preschool teacher had great success getting shy children to sing through decorated toilet paper tubes that represented the mouths of animals (Hunter, 1977).
Stick puppets. The simplest of all puppets, stick puppets are controlled by a single stick (any slim, rigid support) that goes up inside the puppet or is attached to the back of it. Stick puppets are fun and easy to make. The teacher can use sticks from the lumber yard, large twigs, or wood popsicle sticks. With this type of puppet, the child puts a bag or piece of cloth over the stick and stuffs the bag or cloth with wads of newspaper or cotton. The child then ties the top of the bag to the stick, making a head. A rubber band may be used instead of string to form a head. The child can then paint the head or make a face with crayons or colored paper and paste. Scrap yarn, wood shavings, and buttons are also good materials for the puppet’s face. Scrap pieces of fabric can be used to “dress” the puppet; wallpaper samples are an inexpensive material for puppets’ clothes. With the stick, the puppet is moved around the stage or turned from side to side. It has the advantage of being a good first puppet for preschoolers, since a stick can be attached to any little doll, toy animal, cutout figure, fruit, or vegetable, and the puppet is easy to operate. Bag puppets.
The common paper bag in any size makes a good bag puppet for young preschoolers. The bags are stuffed with wads of newspaper and stapled or glued shut. A body is made with a second bag stapled to the first, leaving room for the child’s hand to slip in and work the puppet. A face can be made with paint, crayons, or colored paper and paste. Odds and ends are fun to use for the face, too. Buttons make eyes; crumpled tissue, a nose; and yarn, hair. The search for the right odds and ends to make the puppet is as much fun as using the finished puppet later.
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Hand puppets.
Frequently called glove or mitten puppets, these are the most popular for young children. (See Appendix G for basic patterns for glove and mitten puppets.) There are many types of hand puppets, but most can be classified into two general groups: (1) those with moving mouths and (2) those with moving hands. The first (with moving mouths) is any sort of hand covering—a handkerchief, sock, mitten, or paper bag— inside of which one’s fingers open and shut, forming the mouth of the puppet. The second kind has a head and two hands and is operated by putting one or two fingers in the head and one in each hand. This kind of puppet can freely pick up objects and make hand motions, thus putting more realism into a performance.
Finger puppets.
The three general types of finger puppets are the following (See Figure 15–14): ■ Finger-leg. Finger puppet in which two fingers (usually the index and middle fingers) serve as the puppet’s legs. ■ Finger-cap. Finger puppet that slips over an individual finger. ■ Finger-face. Puppet made by drawing a face on a finger with a felt pen. Usually, one can perform with quite a few puppets of this type at one time. They are great for fingerplays! Some advantages of finger puppets include the following: ■ They are easy to manipulate, even by a toddler. ■ They encourage small muscle action. ■ They are inexpensive to make. ■ One child alone can put on a performance with an “entire cast.” ■ They maintain interest because they are always easy and quick to make. ■ They can be made in spare moments, since materials are small and mobile.
Wooden spoon puppets. You will need wooden spoons, yarn, string, material scraps, glue, and construction paper. Draw a face on the wooden spoon. Glue on yarn, string for hair, and scraps of material for clothing.
Two-faced (paper plate) puppets. Draw a face on the back of each paper plate. Add features with various types of materials. Insert a stick between the paper plates and glue it into place. Staple edges together.
Play dough puppets. Place a small amount of play dough onto a finger. Mold play dough into a face
FIGURE 15–14
There are many different kinds of finger puppets.
shape covering the finger. Add raisins, cereal, toothpicks, etc., for facial features and added emphasis.
Styrofoam ball puppets. Insert a stick into a styrofoam ball. Cover the styrofoam ball with fabric. Tie the fabric around the stick. Glue on buttons and felt scraps for facial features.
Ping-Pong ball puppets. Cut an X shape out of a ball. Place a piece of lightweight fabric on your finger. Cover the area of the ball with sturdy glue. Force the ball at the X onto the fabric on your finger. While the glue is drying, draw or paste a face onto the puppet.
Sock puppet. Pull the sock over your hand. Glue or paint facial features onto the toe of the sock or decorate as desired.
Finger puppets from gloves. Recycle stray gloves and use them for finger puppets. Recycle old rubber gloves, too, by drawing features on rubber glove fingers with marking pens. Glue pompoms on each finger for the “head” and glue on bits of cloth or
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ated by the participants. It goes beyond dramatic play in scope and intent. The term creative dramatics is generally used to describe the improvised drama of children from age six and older. Other uses of puppets in the early childhood program include helping shy children express themselves, having children introduce themselves, and teaching new concepts in various areas. Types of puppets appropriate for use with young children are stick, finger, hand, people puppets (humanettes), vegetable, Ping-Pong ball, and styrofoam puppets. FIGURE 15–15
Garden glove puppets.
KEY TERMS felt for facial or character details. See Figure 15–15 for examples of garden glove puppets.
Old mitten puppets. A child can slip his hand into an old mitten and make the puppet “talk” by moving his thumb up and down against his four fingers.
Cardboard cylinder puppet. To make a cardboard cylinder puppet, place a cardboard cylinder from paper towels or toilet tissue over the fingers. Decorate with desired features. The cylinder could be used for the body, and a styrofoam ball or Ping-Pong ball could be placed on the top for the head. Decorate as desired.
People puppets. Also called humanettes, these are half-person and half-puppet. The easiest people puppet for children is a large paper sack put over the head. Holes are cut out for the eyes, and facial features and decorations are added with paint or paper and paste. The bags can be turned up slightly above the shoulder or cut away on the sides for arm holes. People puppets make a natural transition from puppetry to creative drama. Also, shy children generally feel more protected behind this kind of puppet than all the other types (Jenkins, 1980). Be sure not to force a child to use this type of puppet if he does not like his head covered!
SUMMARY Dramatic play is an excellent means for developing creativity and imagination in young children when it is related to the child’s personal sense of reality without imposed adult standards. Dramatic play kits are easy to make and help develop opportunities for creative play. The use of puppets provides opportunities for creative movement, dramatics, and language development. Creative dramatics refers to informal drama that is cre-
bag puppet cardboard cylinder puppet creative dramatics dramatic play
finger puppets humanettes modeling behavior people puppet
LEARNING ACTIVITIES A. Create two dramatic play kits not listed or suggested in this chapter. 1. Try to make one that no one else might think of making. 2. Compare with those of classmates. B. Make up a play kit of “props” children might use in one of the following activities. 1. playing mail carrier 2. playing dentist 3. playing airline pilot 4. playing waitress/waiter C. Make one of the types of puppets discussed in this chapter. Demonstrate its use to your classmates before you use it with children. Describe how you plan to use the puppet with children in the future. D. If you had $100 to spend for drama equipment in setting up a new room in your first year of teaching, what would you buy and why? Itemize each purchase, and give at least three uses for each item. You may use a school supply catalog for assistance in your purchasing. Do this for a preschool class, a class in the kindergarten–grade 3 group, and in a class in the 4–5 grade range. Discuss the differences in each level and how it affected your purchases. E. Field Work Assignment Observe in two early childhood rooms. What roles did you observe children playing in dramatic activities? How do you think these roles are related to children’s real-life experiences? Explain.
CHAPTER 15 Dramatic Play and Puppetry
Consult the teacher in each of the two rooms you observed to learn how information obtained through observing children’s dramatic play is utilized (if at all) in guiding children or in making future plans. Give examples. In each of the rooms you observed, what limits were placed on children during dramatic play? How do you think these limits would change in an outdoor dramatic activity? F. Make plans for bringing in new pieces of equipment, new props to help extend children’s dramatic roles in each of the situations you observed. Bring them in, and then observe how children use these materials. G. Use the children’s book, The Land of Many Colors (New York: Scholastic Books, 1993), written by the Klamath County YMCA Family Preschool, as a starting point for a dramatic play activity (both for you and the children). Written by a preschool class, the story of fighting among the purple people, green people, and blue people and their eventual peace all provide great scenarios for dramatic experiences. (Art activities are a natural tie-in with this book as well.)
ACTIVITIES FOR OLDER CHILDREN (GRADES 4–5) AESTHETIC AWARENESS Have students relate terms for movement in dance to terms that describe actual or implied motion in the visual arts. Examples include: glide, dart, slide, pivot, hop, sway, and twirl. Have students create pantomimes or dances based on motions in nature such as a bird flying, a fish swimming, a leaf falling, etc. Have students invent vocal or instrumental sounds that seem to fit these motions, then orchestrate the sounds in different ways. CREATIVE DRAMA EXERCISES The following are some exercises to get elementary children started on creative dramatics. Refer to the guidelines presented in this chapter to help you use these activities. ■ Walk like the following: elephant, feather, grasshopper, cooked spaghetti, uncooked spaghetti, a very quiet mouse, or a very careful chicken. ■ Blow a bubble, catch it in the air, then set it down very carefully on the table. ■ Walk into the kitchen, take a jar of pickles out of the refrigerator, open the jar and eat one. It is very sour. ■ Brush your teeth in the morning.
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■ Prepare and eat ice cream with spinach on top. ■ Come into a room, look around, and hide in the closet. ■ You are walking through a room when your foot gets stuck on some glue. You sit down to think and other parts of you get stuck, too. ■ You are a mouse looking at some cheese on a mouse trap. Can you take if off…? ■ Lift something heavy, light, smelly, gooey, small, big, wiggly, or shaky. ■ Tell a story without using any voice. ■ Using only your face, show anger, surprise, sleepiness, being hurt, afraid, funny, silly, or someone who just heard a very loud noise.
CHAPTER REVIEW 1. List the objectives of creative dramatics. 2. What are dramatic play kits? Give specific examples of some you would use in your classroom and what they would contain. 3. Discuss what you consider the early childhood teacher’s role in children’s dramatic play. 4. Do you feel that it is appropriate for the teacher to make special plans for children’s dramatic play? Give examples in your explanation. 5. Discuss how to use puppets with young children. 6. Discuss the difference between dramatic play and creative dramatics.
REFERENCES Edwards, L. C., & Nabors, M. I. (1993 March). The creative arts process: What it is and what it is not. Young Children, 78. Hunter, L. S. (1977, May). Piscataway’s puppet program. School Library Journal, 89–87. Jenkins, P. D. (1980). The magic of puppetry: A guide for those working with young children. Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice-Hall Smith, C. A. (1987). Promoting the social development of young children (2nd ed.). Palo Alto, CA: Mayfield Publishing. Weininger, O. (1988). “What if” and “as if”: Imagination and pretend play in early childhood. Imagination and Education, 141–149.
ADDITIONAL READINGS Ball, C. (1995). Taking time to act: A guide to crosscurricular drama. Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann. Blech, S. (1998). Weaving in the arts. Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann.
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Carlson, L. M. (1999). You’re on! Seven plays in English and Spanish. New York: Morrow. Dramatic play: More than playing house. (1998). Child Car Collection video series. Produced by the State of Indiana and Indiana Public Broadcasting Stations. Washington, DC: NAEYC. Forte, I. (1999). Early learning experiences in movement and drama. Nashville TN: Incentive Publications. Fujita, H., & Stallings, F. (1999). Stories to play with:
Kids’ tales told with puppets, paper, toys and imagination. Little Rock, AK: August House Publishers. Goldstein, R., & Strong, D. (1999). Once upon a stage: Story-based creative dramatics with young children. Berkeley, CA: Living the Good News. Howell, J., & Corbey-Scullen, M. (1997). Out of the housekeeping corner and onto the stage—Extending dramatic play. Young Children, 52 (6), 82–88. Huff, M. J. (1999). Storytelling with puppets, props and playful tales. Palo Alto, CA: Monday Morning Books. Johnson, A. P. (1998). How to use creative dramatics in the classroom. Childhood Education, 75 (1), 2–6. Jossart, S., & Courtney, G. (1996). Story dramas: A new literature experience for young children. Reading, MA: Addison-Wesley. Klamath County YMCA Family Preschool. (1993). The land of many colors. New York: Scholastic. Koehler-Pentacoff, E. (1999). Curtain call: Games, skits, plays and more. Nashville, TN: Incentive Publications. Koste V. G. (1995). Dramatic play in childhood: Rehearsal for life. Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann. Litman, M. with Anderson, C., Andrican, L., Buria, B., Christy, C., Koski, B., & Renton, P. (1999). Curriculum comes from the child: A Head Start family child care program. Young Children, 54 (3), 4–9. McCullough, L. E. (1996). Plays of America from
American folklore for children: Grade level K-6. Lyme, NH: Smith & Kraus. Neelands, J. (1985). Making sense of drama. Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann. Rump, N. (1995). Puppets and masks: Stagecraft and storytelling. Philadelphia, PA: Davis. Swartz, L. (1995). Dramathemes: A practical guide for teaching drama. Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann. Thistle, L. (1997). Dramatizing Mother Goose: The teacher’s guide to play acting in the classroom. New York: Paperback Books. Wagner, B. J. (1998). Educational drama and language arts. Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann. Weininger, O. (1988). “What if” and “as if”: Imagination and pretend play in early childhood. Imagination and Education, 141–149. Wisniewski, D. (1997). Worlds of Shadow: Teaching teachers how to work with shadow puppets. New York: Teacher Ideas Press.
BOOKS FOR CHILDREN PRESCHOOL Bourgeois, P. (1999). Franklin’s school play. Topeka, KS: Econo-Clad Books. Dunrea, O. (2000). Appearing tonight: Mary Heather Elizabeth Livingstone. New York: Farrar, Straus & Giroux. Gerke, P. (1996). Movement stories for young children: Ages 3-6. Lyme, NH: Smith & Kraus. Graves, K. (1999). Frank was a monster who wanted to dance. San Francisco, CA: Chronicle Books. Inkpen, M. (1995). Wibbly Pig can dance! Minneapolis: Artist’s Press. Isadora, R. (1999). Isadora dances. New York: Penguin. Martin, D. (1993). Lizzie and her friend. New York: Candlewick. Martin, D. (1993). Lizzie and her puppy. New York: Candlewick. Mayer, M. (1999). The school play. New York: Golden Books. McCully, E. A. (1999). Starring Mirette and Bellini. New York: Putnam. Novak, M. (2000). Jazzbo and Googy, (Vol. 2). New York: Hyperion. O’Connor, J. (2000). Nina, Nina, and the copycat ballerina. New York: Putnam. Offen, H. (1994). Quiet as a mouse. New York: Dutton. Pocock, R. (1998). Annabelle and the big slide. San Diego, CA: Gulliver. Pragoff, F. (1995). The dressing up book: Lots of ideas for amazing hats, masks and costumes. New York: World Book. Saltzberg, B. (1996). Bow, wow, and you on the farm: A finger puppet play book. New York: Hyperion. Stuve-Bodeen, S. (1998). Elizabeth’s doll. New York: Lee & Low.
KINDERGARTEN–GRADE 3 Bany-Winters, L. (1997). On stage: Theater games and activities for kids. Chicago: Chicago Review Press. Base, G. (1998). The sign of the seahorse: A tale of greed and high adventure in two acts. New York: Abrams. Bender, M. (1999). All the world’s a stage. San Francisco, CA: Chronicle. Benjamin, A., & Lowenberg, R. C. (1997). Memories, (Vol. 12). Boulder, CO: Western Publishing. Burdett, L. (1996). Macbeth: For kids. New York: Firefly Books. Clements, A. (1999). Look who’s in the Thanksgiving play! New York: Simon & Schuster. Foon, D. (1998). The short tree and the bird that could not sing. San Francisco, CA: General Distribution Services.
CHAPTER 15 Dramatic Play and Puppetry
Granstrom, B., & Manning, M. (1999). Superschool: Art, drama, nature and science all in one book. Helena, MT: Kingfisher. Grimm, B., & Grimm, W. K. (1998). The frog prince: From the stories by the Brothers Grimm. New York: Treasure Bay. Hoch, D. (1998). Jails, hospitals and hip-hop: And some people. New York: Random House. Kahn, S. (1998). The bird-o-rama drama. New York: HarperCollins. Kohl, M. A. (1999). Making make believe: Fun props, costumes and creative plays. New York: Gryphon House. Koscielniak, B. (1998). Hear, hear, Mr. Shakespeare:
Story, illustrations, and sections from Shakespeare’s plays. Boston: Houghton Mifflin. Mamet, D. (1999). Henrietta. Boston: Houghton Mifflin. Mayer, B. (1995). Shadow games: A book of hand and puppet shadows. Palo Alto, CA: Klutz Publishing. Rowland, P. T. (1998). Check under the bed: A mystery play for you and your friends to perform. Middleton, WI: Pleasant Company. Shakespeare, W., with L. Burdett (Ed.). (1997). A midsummer night’s dream: For kids. New York: Firefly Books. Stanley, D., & Vennema, P. (1998). Bard of Avon. New York: Morrow. Taylor, D. H. (1999). The baby blues. New York: Paperback. Wilde, O. (2000). The selfish giant. (Retold by Fiona Waters.) New York: Knopf. Williams, M. (1998). Tales from Shakespeare. New York: Candlewick.
GRADES 4–5 Bany-Winters, L. (2000). Show time! Music, dance and drama activities for kids. New York: Paperback.
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Briscoe, D. C. (1997). Paul hits the beach. New York: HarperCollins. Bruchac, J. (1999). Pushing up the sky: Seven Native American plays for children. New York: Dial. Dickens, C., with Jennings, L. (1995). A tale of two cities. New York: Penguin. Giff, P. R. (1994). Show time at the Polk Street School. New York: Doubleday. Howe, J. (1998). Pinky and Rex and the school play. New York: Simon & Schuster. Lewis, J. P. (1995). Black swan/white cow. New York: Simon & Schuster. Lowry, L. (1998). Number the stars. New York: Bantam Doubleday Dell. Manning, M. (1999). Drama school. Helena, MT: Kingfisher. Melville, H. Adapted by M. McCaughrean. (1997). Moby Dick: Or, the whale (Children’s adaptation). New York: Oxford Press. Ross, S. (1994). Shakespeare on Macbeth: The story behind the play. New York: Viking. Ross, S. (1999). Greek theatre. Flagstaff, AZ: NTC Publishers. Rowland, P. T. (1998). What a world! A musical for you and your friends to perform. Middleton, WI: Pleasant Company. Rowland, P. T. (1999). Check under the bed: A mystery play for you and your friends to perform! Middleton, WI: Pleasant Company. Shakespeare, with W. E. Nesbit (Ed.). (1998). Beautiful stories from Shakespeare for children. New York: Smithmark.
For additional creative activity resources, visit our Web site at www.EarlyChildEd.delmar.com.
CREATIVE MOVEMENT OBJECTIVES After studying this chapter, you should be able to: 1. Discuss the importance of creative movement activities for young children. 2. List creative movement activities that help children develop large and small muscles. 3. Discuss guidelines for providing creative movement activities for young children.
Y
oung children learn by doing. They are immensely active and energetic. Movement activities are natural avenues for this energy. Physical movement is the young child’s first means of nonverbal communication. Closing her eyes, crying, shaking—a nonverbal infant very clearly communicates her need for attention! Physical movements provide one of the most important avenues through which a child forms impressions about herself and her environment. Anyone entering a preschool classroom cannot help but be aware of children’s constant activity and movement. We know that children’s physical and motor development influences, and is influenced by, all other aspects of development: cognitive, language, social, and emotional. Even so, early childhood teachers too often believe that a child’s motor skills will develop on their own. Therefore, they do not consciously plan for motor skill development as they do for other areas. This chapter addresses the importance of motor skill devel-
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opment and provides some guidelines for adults working with young children. Movement activities concern the whole child and not just physical fitness and recreation. Through creative movement activities a child is able to express her creative self in a very natural way.
THE IMPORTANCE OF MOVEMENT ACTIVITIES FOR YOUNG CHILDREN To adults, the word “exercise” calls to mind ominous visions of doing calisthenics and other unpleasant actions. Yet to a child, physical exercise is one of the activities nearest and dearest to his heart. This is because the young child is busy acquiring all sorts of large and small motor skills during the early years of life. His main learning strategy is through physical manipulation of his world. Movement activities,
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If creative movement is a regular part of the young child’s curriculum, a number of objectives may be reached. ■ relaxation and freedom in the use of the body ■ experience in expressing space, time, and weight ■ increased awareness of the world. ■ experience in creatively expressing feelings and ideas ■ improvement of coordination and rhythmic interpretation
PLANNING CREATIVE MOVEMENT ACTIVITIES TO MEET YOUNG CHILDREN’S NEEDS
FIGURE 16–1
Movement activities contribute to the total physical, mental, social, and emotional growth and development of the child.
more than any other type of activity, offer children rich opportunities for the development of their total selves. There is usually no planning or forethought on the part of children in creative movement. They forget about themselves and let the music’s rhythm or an idea carry their bodies away. There is no pattern of movements to be practiced or perfected. Young children are free to move about in any mood which the music or rhythm suggests to them.
CREATIVE MOVEMENT Creative movement is movement that reflects the mood or inner state of a child. In creative movement, children are free to express their own personalities in their own style. They do not have an example to follow or an adult to imitate. Creative movement can occur in any situation where children feel free and want to move their bodies. It can be done to poetry, music, rhythm, or even silence. By feeling a pulse, beat, idea, or emotion, children’s bodies become instruments of expression. They are musical notes running along a keyboard or wheat waving in the wind. They are anything they want to be. Their movement is an expression of that being.
All movement activities best serve young children’s needs when they address their current developmental levels. The following guidelines provide a framework to help teachers of young children be more effective in this important aspect of their work. (Appendix A presents a general measure of the average ages at which young children acquire physical skills.) GUIDELINES FOR EARLY CHILDHOOD TEACHERS When planning creative movement activities for children, teachers need to keep in mind the characteristics of each age group. Refer to Chapters 8–10 for characteristics of preschool children. Figure 16–2 summarizes the growth and development characteristics of children from kindergarten–grade 5. As with any age group, preschoolers need to practice skills in order to learn them. Instruction needs to be followed by many opportunities for practice. Several different activities should incorporate use of a particular skill, thus allowing for extended overall practice time and preventing children from getting bored. Teachers may want to prepare two or three movement activities, for example. Slight variations of an activity may be all that is necessary. USING POETRY AND MUSIC TO STIMULATE CREATIVE MOVEMENT ACTIVITIES Let us now consider how music and poetry can encourage children’s creative movement in the classroom.
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CHARACTERISTICS
NEEDS
Kindergarten, Grades 1 and 2 1. Spurt of growth 1. Vigorous exercise requiring of muscle mass use of large muscles 2. Gross movement skills 2. Exploration and variations becoming more refined of gross motor skills; chance to refine skills 3. Manipulative skills still 3. Opportunities to manipulate unrefined but improving; large or medium size objects; will catch balls with body throw small balls and arms more so than hands 4. Imaginative, 4. Opportunities for imitative, curious expression of ideas and use of body
TYPES OF EXPERIENCE 1. Running, chasing, fleeing type games; hanging, climbing, exercises 2. Self-testing activities of all types; dance activities, movement tasks 3. Ball-handling activities; work with beanbags, wands, hoops, progressing from large to smaller objects
4. Creative dance, story plays, creative stunt and floor work; exploration with all basic skills and small equipment
5. Very active, great deal of energy
5. Ample opportunities for vigorous play
5. Running, games, stunts, large apparatus like swings, jungle gym, slides
6. Short attention span
6. Activities which take short explanation and can be finished quickly
6. Simple games, simple class organization so activities can be changed quickly
7. Individualistic or egocentric
7. Experiences to learn to share or become interested in others
7. Much small group work, exploration of movement activities
1. Gross motor patterns more refined and graceful
1. Use of skill for specific purposes
1. Introduce specific sport skills; expressive style skill utilized in dance; traditional dance steps
2. Hand–eye coordination improved; growth in manipulative skills
2. Opportunities to handle smaller objects; more importance placed on accuracy; throw at moving targets
2. Ball-handling activities, use of bats, paddles, target games
3. Sees need to practice skills for improvement of skill and to gain social status.
3. Guided practice sessions, self-testing problem situations
3. Drills, skill drill games, self-testing practice situations; task setting
4. Increased attention span
4. Activities with continuity; more complex rules and understandings
4. Organized games with more complex rules and strategy
5. More socially mature, interested in welfare of group
5. Make a contribution to large or small group, remain with one group for a longer period of time, help make and accept decisions with a group
5. Team activities, dance compositions with small groups
6. Greater sex differences in skills; some antagonism toward opposite sex (Gr. 4)
6. Ability grouping
6. Combative type stunts, folk dance; after-school activities, clubs
Grades 3 and 4
FIGURE 16–2
Summary chart of growth and development characteristics of children from kindergarten to grade 5.
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CHARACTERISTICS Grade 5 1. Coordination highly developed, keen interest in proficiency in skills
NEEDS
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TYPES OF EXPERIENCE
1. Need to learn more difficult skills; more coaching on refinement of skills; use of skills in games, routines and compositions
1. Lead-up games to sports in season; instruction and practice in sport skills; more advanced dance step patterns and folk dances; track and field; apparatus routines, intramurals
2. Greater sex differences in skills; interests; most prefer to play and compete with own sex
2. Separation of sexes in classes or within classes for some activities
2. Co-educational dance; swimming, gymnastics, recreational games; sexes separate in team sports and fitness activities; intramurals for each sex
3. Good skills and physique important to social acceptance
3. Instruction and practice sessions in skills, understanding of fitness elements
3. Fitness tests; developmental exercises; work with apparatus
4. Group spirit is high, allegiance to group is strong
4. Need to belong to a group with some stability; make rules, decisions, and abide by group decisions; longer term of membership on a squad or team
4. Team games, tournaments, group dance compositions, sport squads with student leaders, track and field meets
5. Social consciousness of need for rules and abiding by rules; can assume greater responsibility
5. Participate in setting rules, opportunities for squad captains or leaders
5. Student officials; plan and conduct tournaments in class and after school; students plan own strategy, line-ups, etc.
6. Flexibility decreases
6. To maintain flexibility within structural limitations
6. Stunts, tumbling, developmental exercises
FIGURE 16–2
Summary chart of growth and development characteristics of children from kindergarten to grade 5. (Continued)
Music.
Listening to music is a natural way to introduce creative movement. Distinctive types of music or rhythm should be chosen for initial movement experiences. There are many ways and numerous books that can give teachers ideas on this topic. See the suggested additional readings at the end of this chapter for books on this topic. In order to provide the music or rhythm for creative movement, only a few items may be necessary. A tape or CD player and some tapes or CDs, sticks, and bells may be more than enough. Some basic concepts for the teacher to remember when using music for creative movement are: ■ The teacher makes it clear that anything the children want to do is all right, as long as it does not harm them or others. ■ Children understand that they do not have to do anything anyone else does. They can do anything the music or an idea “tells” them to do.
■ The child is allowed to “copy” someone for a start if desired. ■ The children are encouraged to respect each other as different and able to move in different ways. ■ Encourage the children to experience freedom of movement, the relationship of movement to space, and the relationship of movement to others. The teacher may begin the experience by playing a CD or tape. Music that has a strong and easily recognized beat or rhythm is a good start. The children should not be told what to listen for. Let them listen first and then ask them to think about what the music is “saying” to them. While the children are listening, the teacher may turn the music down a bit lower. The teacher might talk with each child about what the music is saying. Some of the children probably may already be moving to the music by this time, and the teacher may join in. The children may go anywhere in the room and do anything that the
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FIGURE 16–3
When planning creative movement activities for children, teachers need to keep in mind the characteristics of each age group.
music “tells” them to do. For this exercise, clapping, stomping, and even shouting are all possible and helpful. When appropriate, a quieter piece of music may be played to allow the children to rest and to give them a sense of contrast. As children become involved in movement explorations, try to redirect, challenge, and stimulate their discoveries by suggestions such as, “Do what you are doing now in a slower way,” “Try moving in a different direction or at a different level,” or “Try the same thing you were doing but make it smoother or lighter.” Some creative movement activities with music can also be done with a partner. Some possibilities are: ■ Face your partner and do a “mirror dance” with your hands and arms. Can you do a mirror dance with your feet and legs? How about with different facial expressions? ■ Hold hands with your partner and slide, leap, gallop, etc., until you hear the signal; then find a new partner and continue to move to the music. ■ Move the same way your partner moves until you hear the tambourine; then move in a different way. ■ What interesting body shapes can you and your partner make? Can the two of you create an interesting design in the space you share? Practice until you and your partner can make three different designs to music. This general approach can be adapted to movement with dolls and puppets; movement of specific parts of the body, such as hands, feet, or toes; and movement in different kinds of space or groups. The imaginations of the children and the teacher are the only limits. These ideas are discussed in greater detail in Chapter 17. Older children may begin to be a bit self-conscious and
FIGURE 16–4
Outdoor play equipment offers children many possibilities for creative play activities.
need other kinds of ways to encourage their creative movements. They often enjoy working in small groups for this reason. A small group activity involving mirror movements, copying, and shadowing movements is appropriate for older children. For example, working together in groups of three or more, children perform movements matching the leader of the group. The leader leads the group in a sequence of movements that the rest of the group copies as closely as possible. A second member takes over as leader, moving in a different sequence. Then, the third member leads the group in yet another sequence of movements. In this type of activity, the small group size helps students overcome the fear of the “whole class looking at me.” It is also easier for children of this age to participate in a group when they know everyone else will be participating along with them in the activity. See the end of this chapter for more creative movement activities for older children.
Poetry and prose. For creative movement, poetry has rhythm as well as the power of language. It is not necessary to use rhyming verses at all times. In the beginning, poems that rhyme may help to start a feeling of pulse and rhythm. Poems should be chosen that fit the young child’s level of appreciation. By adult standards, they may be quite simple. They are often short,
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the less obvious actions or emotions described by the poetry. When stories or poems that have several characters and more complex interaction are read, the entire selection should first be read for listening only. Then it can be discussed to get some idea of the children’s understanding and appreciation. If the children are interested, several readings may be necessary. Older children are able to sustain their interest for a longer period of time and enjoy the procedure of listening, picking out roles, and acting out what is read. They also enjoy adding costumes and props to their creative movements.
Fingerplays and creative movement. Fingerplays provide an endless supply of creative movement opportunities. Keep fingerplays used for creative movement experiences open-ended. You might start by asking, “I wonder how many different ways there are to move your fingers?” Then try it! By using open-ended, divergent questions, you invite children to get actively involved right from the beginning. You might also encourage children to invent movements when learning a new fingerplay or ask them to suggest variations to revitalize a well-loved rhyme you’ve repeated often. Don’t forget that it isn’t necessary for all children to make the same motions during fingerplays. Always accept individual interpretations. For example, the words to the song “My Hand Says Hello,” sung to the tune of “The Farmer in the Dell,” FIGURE 16–5
The imaginations of the children and teachers are the only limits to creative movement.
vivid, lively descriptions of animals or motion, but children should not be limited to these, as there are many books and collections available with a wider variety. The local library is the best resource for this. A suggested beginning may be to ask the children to listen to a poem. After they have heard it, they may pick out their favorite characters in it. Discuss who these characters are and what they do. Read the poem a second time; suggest that the children act out their characters as they listen to the poem. Anything goes—the children may hop like bunnies, fly like planes, or do whatever they feel. More sugggestions are at the end of this chapter. Encourage each child to move in his own way, and encourage as many variations as you see! As readings continue, more complex poems may be selected, containing a series of movements or simple plots. The same general idea can also be carried through with prose. As children become more comfortable in acting out poetry read aloud, they may become more sensitive to
FIGURE 16–6
Creative movement is highly individual.
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More Possibilities: Suggested Movement Interpretations The following are some suggested movement interpretations. Movement explorations and creative movement experiences can be used to interpret nearly every experience, thing, or phenomenon. This list can be expanded with endless possibilities.
1. Life cycle of butterfly
5. Popcorn
a. caterpillar crawling b. caterpillar eating grass c. caterpillar hanging very still from branch or twig d. chrysalis hanging very still e. butterfly emerging from chrysalis f. butterfly drying its wings g. butterfly flying 2. Piece of cellophane or lightweight plastic a. item is put into teacher’s hands without children seeing; children encouraged to guess what item might be, interpreting their guesses through movement. b. teacher’s hands are opened, children watch plastic move, and then interpret what they see through movement. c. piece of plastic is used for movement exploration. 3. Shaving cream a. spurting from aerosol can b. foaming up c. spreading on face d. being used for shaving 4. Airplane sequence a. starting motor d. arriving b. taking off e. landing safely c. flying
a. butter melting b. popping c. everyone ending in a ball shape on the floor, all “popped” 6. Water a. dripping b. flooding c. flowing in a fountain d. freezing e. melting f. spilling g. sprinkler 7. Laundry a. inside washing machine b. inside dryer c. being scrubbed on a washboard d. being pinned to clothesline e. drying in a breeze 8. Fishing a. casting out b. reeling in c. pretending to be a fish d. fly fishing e. pretending to be a hooked line f. frying and eating fish
invite children to wave their hands in their own ways as they sing:
moving hands, grabs children’s attention and provides just the right amount of silliness.
My hand says hello, my hand says hello,
Open, shut them, open, shut them.
Everytime I see my friends, My hand says hello.
Give a great big clap.
After singing this a few times, children can take turns choosing different body parts to sing about and move. How does your head say hello? Your foot? Other favorite fingerplays include funny or silly actions that give children the chance to giggle and wiggle without losing control. “Open, Shut Them,” about
Open, shut them, open, shut them. Put them in your lap. Creep them, creep them, creep them, creep them, Right up to your chin. Open wide your little mouth, but . . . Do not let them in!
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FIGURE 16–8 FIGURE 16–7
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A child’s book can be the inspiration for later dramatic and creative movement.
Props can encourage children’s creative movement activities.
Creative Movement for Transition Times
Whenever young children move from activity to activity (in transitional times), they often lose their focus and may even get a bit confused and disruptive. The following hints may help children move more easily from one activity to another. ■ Pretend you are a train, with the teacher as the engine and each child a car in the train. Assign one child to be the caboose, to turn off the lights and close the door. ■ Turn your jump rope into a dragon, worm, caterpillar, or other animal by attaching a head at one end of the rope and a tail at the other end. Have the children make the body and legs by holding onto the rope with one hand and walking down the hall and out to the playground. ■ Imagine you are a tired puppy; yawn and stretch and roll on the floor. Then lie very still. (Suggested for the beginning of rest time.) ■ Construct a “feel” box or bag or a “look” box or bag. Place an item in the bag or box that will suggest the next activity or topic for each child to feel or look at. ■ To help children quiet down between activities, clap a rhythm for them to copy. Start by clapping loudly, then gradually clap more softly until your hands are resting in your lap. ■ Pretend to be a bowl of gelatin and shake all over. ■ Pretend to lock your lips and put the key in a pocket. ■ Pretend to put on “magic” ears for listening. ■ Pretend to walk in tiptoe boots, Indian moccasins, or Santa’s-elf shoes. ■ To make lining up more fun and to enhance motor skills, make a balance-beam “bridge” for the children to cross. Cut two 5” wide strips from a carpet sample and tape them together end to end with duct tape. Place the “bridge” on the floor alongside a smiling paper alligator for children to walk across, being careful not to let the alligator “nip” their toes (Church, 1993; Hohmann, 1993).
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Surprise endings often bring smiles, such as those in “Ten in a Bed,” “Five Little Monkeys,” and “Thumbkin.” Invite children to act out their favorite fingerplays.
SUMMARY Young children learn by doing, and movement activities are a natural avenue for children’s learning. Movement activities contribute to the total development—physical, mental, social, and emotional—of young children. Movement activity is as vital for children as are art and math, for in movement activities a young child acquires skills, knowledge, and attitudes that help her discover and understand her body and her physical abilities and limitations. Creative movement reflects the mood or inner state of an individual. Creative movement usually requires no planning or forethought on the part of children. They can forget about themselves and let the music’s rhythm or an idea carry their bodies away. There is no exact pattern of movements to be practiced or perfected. In planning creative movement activities for young children, the developmental level of each child is the starting point. The information provided in developmental skill charts (such as Appendix A) for young children can be used to get some idea of what to expect of children physically at different ages. Yet, the most important thing to remember is that the individual child is the measure, not any chart of developmental skills. Poetry and music can be used to encourage children’s creative movements. Listening to music is a natural way to introduce creative movement. Distinctive types of music with clear rhythmic patterns should be used for the initial creative movement experiences. Poetry also has rhythm as well as the power of language. Poems that rhyme are good to begin with, as they help children get the feel, pulse, and rhythm of the words. (There are rhythm poems at the end of this chapter, as well as in Chapter 18.) Fingerplays also provide many opportunities for creative movement activities. Whether movement activities occur with music, poetry, ropes, or hoops, they benefit young children by developing their relaxation, freedom of expression, and increased awareness of their own bodies.
LEARNING ACTIVITIES A. Choose one of the action poems at the end of this unit. Use it to conduct a creative movement activity with a group of young children (or a group of your fellow classmates). Critique your experience. Cover these points: 1. Was the poem appropriate for the group? Why or why not? 2. What did you do (specifically) that worked well with the group? 3. What did not work and why? 4. How would you change your activity for future use? Be specific in your reply. B. Observe a group of children involved in movement activities of any kind. Record evidence of each of the following situations: 1. A child discovers a new way to move. 2. A child uses small and/or large muscles in the activity. 3. A child discovers what other children are like as a result of the activity. C. There are things that teachers do to help create a good climate for creative movement for their classes. There are other things that teachers do that keep children from becoming involved in creative movement activities. Describe both these situations. Share these descriptions with others and compare your results. D. Choose one of the movement interpretations in the “This One’s for You” box on page 262. Act it out alone or with your fellow students. Then have a group of children act out the same movement. Describe the differences in their movements and your own (or fellow students’). What were the greatest differences? Try the same interpretive movement with different age groups of children and compare the results.
ACTIVITIES FOR CHILDREN “BECOME” ONE OF THE FOLLOWING
KEY TERMS creative movement creative movement activities
Let the children act out the features/characteristics of a bicycle, rake, hose, wheelbarrow, tire pump, beach ball, or any other familiar play objects the children come up with.
CHAPTER 16 Creative Movement
STOP AND GO Children walk around doing whatever they want to with their arms and bodies. When the teacher says “stop,” the children “freeze” and hold that position until the teacher says “go.” Encourage all children’s movements. JUMP OVER THE RIVER Two long sticks can serve as the banks of the river. Children jump from one bank to the other. The sticks can be moved further apart at times to make a wider river. Children can find ways to get from one side of the river to the other, like sliding, crawling, rolling, etc. Encourage any and all creative attempts to “cross.” LINE CHALLENGES Use a tape or chalk to make a line on the floor and encourage the children to see how many things they can do: jump over the line, walk on the line, hop along the line, stand on the end of the line, stretch out on the line, slide on the line, tiptoe across the line, roll over the line, lie beside the line, run around the line, skip round and round the line. Then have the children make up their own challenges. JET PLANES Encourage the children to use creative movements in becoming a jet plane: Pretend you are a jet plane. Use your body to show the jet: on the ground, in the air, climbing up into the clouds, nose diving, coming in for a landing, on the ground again. Take off again. This time, your jet is a stunt plane. It can write in the sky. It can make loops and turn upside-down. Now make a number 2. Make a 3. Now make a 5. Can you make an S? How about a P? Make the shape of a funny animal. How about a wiggly worm?
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include crawling, walking on all fours, jumping, and flying. Tell the children the title of the music and play it for them to enjoy. Encourage them to move their bodies like they think the animal in the music would be moving. Another piece of music that is good for creative movements if Tschaikovsky’s “Dance of the Little Swans” from Swan Lake. It’s a natural for some fun tip-toeing! For marching experiences, use Herbert’s “March of the Toys” from Babes in Toyland or Grieg’s “Norwegian Rustic March” from Lyric Suite. For running movements, try Bizet’s “The Ball” from Children’s Games. Bizet’s Children’s Games also has a section entitled “Leap Frog” which is great for creative jumping movements. In the same composition, Bizet’s “Cradle Song” encourages swaying and rocking movements. “The Swan” by Saint-Saens from Carnival of the Animals is also good for swaying and rocking movements. Prokofiev’s “Waltz on Ice” from Children’s Suite, Tschaikovsky’s “Waltz” from The Sleeping Beauty and Khachaturian’s “Waltz” from Masquerade Suite are all excellent pieces of music for waltzing and smooth gliding creative movements. ROPE SKILLS Lay out various lengths of rope in a straight line on the floor as if it were a tightrope. Challenge the children to try some of these skills. Can you do this while moving backward? Walk the “tightrope” with eyes shut. Jump from side to side across the rope without touching the rope. Hop from side to side without touching the rope. Lay your rope in the pattern of a circle. Get inside the circle, taking up as much space as possible, without hanging over the edges. Make up a design on your own. See if you can walk it. Can your friend? Can you walk your friend’s design? I CAN
CAN YOU BE? Ask the children: Pretend your body is a huge tree. Show the tree in a big windstorm; losing its leaves in autumn; loaded with snow after a blizzard; in the summer when the sun is so hot. CLASSICAL MUSIC AND MOVEMENT Selected sections of the music of Saint-Saëns’ Carnival of the Animals are excellent for encouraging the actingout of various animal movements. The movements can
Here is an action poem that leads to a lot of fun and movement. Like a bunny I can hop I can spin like a top. I can reach way up high And I almost touch the sky. In a boat I row and row Sometimes fast and sometimes slow. Now a bouncing jumping jack I pop up and then go back. Then sway gently in the breeze
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Like the little forest trees. Make silly faces like a clown And then I quietly settle down. UNWINDING Children pretend they are windup toys, such as dolls, dogs, monkeys, rabbits, or clowns. The teacher winds up the toys and the children begin moving at a brisk pace, getting slower and slower until they are completely “run down” and stop or collapse to the floor. The teacher or a child rewinds the toys and sequence is repeated.
There really wasn’t very much else for them to do. (Repeat preceding five lines.) Now their eyes they opened and they peeked all around. And started to grow right up through the ground. They grew so very slowly, but they grew straight and tall. And their leaves they unfolded and waved at us all. And their leaves they unfolded and waved at us all. Then the sun shone down and made the flower smile. And they swayed and swayed in the breeze for awhile. Until a big wind came and blew them all away.
COLLAPSING The teacher explains that “collapsing” means relaxing a body part or the whole body, allowing gravity to pull it down to earth. Children stand and stretch tall, then slowly collapse (relax) one part at a time, first the fingertips, then the wrists, elbows, arms, head and shoulders, and so on, until they are left collapsed on the floor. RHYTHM POEMS Repeat these as many times as needed, allowing the children to supply their own actions. Little Birds All the little birds All asleep in their nest; All the little birds Are taking a rest. They do not even twitter; They do not even tweet. Everything is quiet All up and down the street. Then came the mother bird And tapped them on the head. They opened up one little eye, And this is what was said: “Come, little birdies; it’s time to learn to fly. Come, little birdies; fly way up to the sky.” Fly, fly, oh, fly away, fly, fly, fly. Fly, fly, oh, fly away, fly away so high. Fly, fly, oh, fly away, birds can fly the best. Fly, fly, oh, fly away—now fly back to your nest. Flower Seeds All the little flower seeds sleep in the ground, Warm and snuggly and tucked in all around, Sleeping, oh, so soundly the long winter through. There really wasn’t very much else for them to do.
And there were no more flowers that day. And there were no more flowers that day. Blow, blow, blow away, flowers. Blow, blow away. Worms Are Crawling Worms are crawling, crawling, crawling. Worms are crawling, crawling, all around or: Making tunnels in and out of the ground. Wiggly, wiggly worms are squirming all around Wiggly, squiggly, swiggly worms Crawl in and out of the ground. (This can be sung to “The Farmer in the Dell” tune.) Bobby Snake Oh, Bobby Snake is crawling, crawling, crawling. Oh, Bobby Snake is crawling, crawling right to meeeee. (Substitute the name of the child for meeeee) Wiggly, wiggly, wiggly snake Is crawling, crawling all around. Slithery, slippery, flippery snake Is crawling, crawling on the ground. Turtle (Tune: “Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star”) Tur-tle, tur-tle, where are you? Oh, you are so slow, slow, slow. First one hand and then the other, That’s what makes you go, go, go. Hide your winky little head, And you cannot see, see, see. Tur-tle, tur-tle, peek-a-boo! Peek-a-boo at me, me, me. (Repeat third and fourth lines.)
CHAPTER 16 Creative Movement
I Wiggle My Fingers I can wiggle my fingers, I can wiggle my toes. I can wiggle my shoulders, and I can wiggle my nose. Now no more wiggles are left for me. So I will be as still as can be. RELAXING EXERCISES 1. Pull back your shoulders, bend elbows and place Your fingers on shoulders, like chicken wings laced. Elbows outstretched, swing right one to front, As left one goes backwards, keep swinging and jump: And-a-one, and-a-two, and-a-three, and-a-four, And-a-five, and-a-six, and-a-now no more. Slump and relax, breathe deep and exhale, Now you are ready for the next thing in store. 2. Bring your head down to your knees, Let your arms swing freely, please. Swinging, swinging, back and forth, Arms lead upward—soaring forth, Upward, upward, toward the sky, Drawing head and body up high, Open hands and feel the rain, Now relax—Let’s do it again; (Repeat) (Say same verse again.) That’s the end. 3. Pick out a place and kneel right down, Close now your eyelids and without a frown, Let your head start to sway, Let it sway, where it may, Let it sway, let it sway, Let it sway many ways. Now open your eyes, And while you look around Rise to your feet, Moving head, shoulders, arms, And dance through the room Till the gong ends the charm. 4. Move around as soft as fluff, Till you hear the word, “Enough.” Now move around as hard as nails, Firm as steel your body feels. Once again so soft and light, You move quite like a feather white. Now stretch yourself like bands of rubber Tight and strained, walk to another. Now let go, relax and feel All floppy, flopping, not quite real— Maybe you’re a Raggedy Ann, Or, a Raggedy Andy walking man.
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ACTIVITIES FOR OLDER CHILDREN (GRADES 4–5) MOVEMENT, LINE AND SHAPE Artists use lines and shapes to send “wordless” messages or feelings to people. Present the students prints of several artists’ work that exemplify such use of lines and shapes. Good examples for this would be works of Mondrian (for squares and rectangles), Georgia O’Keefe (for curvy, round shapes), and Salvador Dali (for clear lines of various shapes). Using the work of one or more of these (or other artists), the teacher asks the students to pick out some shapes from these works and convert themselves into the geometric figures used by the artists. To make body sculptures, the teacher divides the class into small groups and asks them to pick a geometric shape in the artist’s work and to make that shape with their bodies. Give them some rehearsal time. Children use their bodies to create the shape they see in the artist’s work. Six children for example, would be used to form a rectangle. They could do so by lying on the floor and connecting limbs so that four form the top and bottom and two form the sides. Larger versions of the shapes can be created by using more children to form each body sculpture. The groups show their body shape sculpture to the rest of the class and viewers identify the shape they see. To build on this activity, divide the class into two groups. Each group is asked to prepare a body sculpture in which several shapes are linked. One for example, might have a triangle, a circle, and a square linked by connecting body parts. The other group has to identify the shapes present in the sculpture. A further challenge would be to invite the children to invent new shapes and demonstrate them for the larger group. Together, have them come up with creative titles for their original inventions.
CLASSICAL MUSIC AND CREATIVE ACTIVITIES Play Stravinsky’s ballet Firebird. Discuss the story of King Kastchei, the Firebird, the Prince, and the Princess. The children might enjoy making masks for the hideous ogres found in the “Infernal Dance of King Kastchei.” Students could act out the parts in the story. You could have auditions for these parts as well as for a narrator to tell what happens in the ballet. Other students can be chosen to be either “low,” “medium,” or “high” creeping demons according to the dynamics of
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the music. When the theme isn’t playing, the monsters can “freeze” until the theme comes back again. The children can make a class project of the performance with costumes and masks. CREATIVE MOVEMENTS Have the children use their bodies for the following activities: ■ Explore possible movements of body parts, i.e., bend, stretch, twist, turn, push, pull swing, sway. ■ With a partner, facing each other, one moves and the other mirrors the movements. Move a body part. Keep that part moving as you transfer the movement to another part. ■ Working with a partner, do the same movement your partner does. Now the same movement with another body part. ■ Create a dance with your partner using two different movements suggested by each person. ■ Begin a movement in one body part and gradually move the movement to adjoining body parts so that the movement begins with one body part and moves to others. Try moving in different ways. ■ Create a dance in which the movement flows from one dancer to another. ■ Explore moving different body parts in unison. ■ Move body parts in opposition. ■ Combine a movement. Create a dance combining unison (or opposition) movements of different body parts. ■ Put a piece of elastic around two body parts. Initiate a movement with one and have the attached part move with it. ■ Initiate another movement and have the attached part resist the movement. ■ Combine two or three movements initiated by the attached body parts moving in sequence or in resistance to the movement. ■ Working with a partner, attach a piece of yarn loosely to a body part (not around your neck) and to the same body part of your partner. One begins the movement with the attached body part following the movement. Try moving in different ways. ■ Create a dance with each person initiating a movement in turn, which is followed by the attached body part of the partner.
CHAPTER REVIEW 1. List four points that teachers should remember when planning and carrying out creative movement activities for young children. 2. List some objectives of creative movement. On your list, indicate some activities you would use to accomplish each of these objectives. 3. How would you select music and poetry and finger-plays to use with young children in creative movement activities? What would be your criteria? 4. How would you use poetry or prose in creative movement activities?
REFERENCES Church, E. B. (1993, Feb.). Moving small, moving quiet. Scholastic Pre-K Today, 42–44. Hohmann, M. (1993). Young children in action. Ypsilanti, MI: High /Scope Press.
ADDITIONAL READINGS Benzwie, T. (1987). Moving experience: Dance for lovers of children and the child within. Somerville, MA: Zephyr Press. Blair, S., & Morrow, M. S. (1997). Surgeon general’s report on physical fitness. Health and Fitness Journal, 1 (1), 14–18. Chen, J. (Ed.). (1999). Project spectrum: Early learning activities. In Project Zero: Frameworks for early childhood education, (Vol. 2). Washington, DC: NAEYC. Fitterman, L. (1999). Let’s get moving: The joy of movement for small children. Atlanta: Cethial & Bossche Co. Forte, I. (1999). Early learning experiences in movement and drama. Nashville, TN: Incentive Publications. Gallahue, D. L. (1995). Developmental physical education for today’s child, (3rd ed.). New York: McGraw Hill. Gallahue, D. L., & Ozmun, J. (1997). Understanding motor development: Infants, children, adolescents, adults. New York: McGraw Hill. Griffin, C., & Rinn, B. (1998). Enhancing outdoor play with an obstacle course. Young Children, 53 (3), 18–23. Graham, G., Holt-Hale, S., & Parker, M. (1993). Children moving. Mountain View, CA: Mayfield. Hendrick, J. (1996). The whole child. Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice-Hall.
CHAPTER 16 Creative Movement
Miller, S. E. (1999). Balloons, blankets, and balls: Gross-motor activities to use indoors. Young Children, 54 (5) 58–63. Nichols, B. (1998). Moving and learning: The elementary school physical education experience. (3rd ed.). St. Louis, MO: Mosby. Pangrazi, R. P. (1998). Dynamic physical education for elementary school children. Stamford, CT: Appleton & Lange. Pangrazi, R. P. (1999). Dynamic physical education for elementary school children. Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice-Hall. Pica, R. (1997). Beyond physical development: Why children need to move. Young Children, 52 (6), 4–11. Sullivan, M. (1996). Feeling strong, feeling free: Movement exploration for young children, (2nd ed.). Washington, DC: NAEYC.
BOOKS FOR CHILDREN PRESCHOOL Barlin, A. L. (1993). Goodnight toes!: Bedtime stories, lullabies and movement games. Highstown, NJ: Princeton Book Co. Breeze, L. (1993). This little baby goes out. Boston: Little Brown. Carle, E. (1997). From head to toe. New York: HarperCollins. Dudko, M. A. (1994). BJ’s fun week. Allen, TX: Lyric Publishing. Henderson, K. (1994) Bounce, bounce, bounce. New York: Candlewick. Jones, B. T., & Kuklin, S. (1999). Dance. New York: Hyperion. McCaughrean, G. (1999). The Nutcracker. New York: Oxford University Press. McCully, E. A. (1999). Mouse practice. New York: Scholastic. Mesnick, H. (1998). Let’s play impossible—Read along fun pack with cassette(s) and toy. New York: GT Publishing. Play School. (1999). Play School fun: First words and pictures. Dayton, OH: Lorenz. Rooyackers, P. (1996). 101 dance games for children: Fun and learning with creative movement. Cedar Rapids, IA : Hunter House. Smike, C., & Lewis, S. (1999). Early talk: Rhymes, movement and simple songs to familiar tunes. Nashville, TN: Incentive Publications. Stangl, J. (1996). Fingerlings: Finger puppet fun for little ones, preschool–grade 3. Columbus, OH: Fearon Teacher Aids. Steiner, J. (1999). Look-alikes, Jr. Boston: Little Brown.
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Stevenson, J. (1998). Sam the zamboni man. New York: Greenwillow. Warren, J., & Cubley, K. (Eds.). (1996). Four seasons movement. Everett, WA: Warren Publishing House.
KINDERGARTEN–GRADE 3 Adler, D. A. (1999). Lou Gehrig: The luckiest man. New York: Harcourt. Adler, D. A. (1999). The Babe and I. New York: Harcourt. Choksy, L. (1987). 120 singing games and dances for elementary schools. Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice-Hall. Cooper, E. (1998). Ballpark. New York: Greenwillow. Edwards, P. D. (1998). Honk! New York: Hyperion. Esbensen, B. J. (2000). Jumping day. Honesdale, PA: Boyds Mills Press. Freedman, R. (1998). Martha Graham: A dancer’s life. New York: Clarion. Grindley, S. (1999). The eyewitness readers: The little ballerina, (Level 2, Grades 1–3). New York: DK Publishing. Isadora, R. (1993). Lili at ballet. New York: Putnam. Isadora, R. (1995). Lili on stage. New York: Putnam. Isadora, R. 1997). Lili backstage. New York: Putnam. Krull, K. (1996). Wilma unlimited: How Wilma Rudolph became the world’s fastest woman. New York: Harcourt. Kuklin, S., & Jones, B. T. (1998). Dance. New York: Hyperion. Kvasnosky, L. M. (1998). Zelda and Ivy. New York: Candlewick. Marshall, J., & Sendak, M. (1999). Swine lake. New York: HarperCollins. Reeves, H. P. (1984). Song and dance activities for elementary children. Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice-Hall. Smith, C. L. (1999). Jingle dancer. New York: Morrow. Stangl, J. (1996). Fingerlings: Finger puppet fun for little ones, preschool–grade 3. Columbus, OH: Fearon Teacher Aids. Torbert, M., & Schneider, L. (1998). Follow me too: A handbook of movement activities for 3- to 5-year-olds. Washington, DC: NAEYC. Walton, R. (1997). Dance, pioneer, dance. Salt Lake City, UT: Deseret Book Company. Willner-Pardo, G. (1999). Jumping into nothing. New York: Clarion. Wolff, A. (1999). Stella and Roy go camping. New York: Dutton.
GRADES 4–5 Appelt, K. (2000). Kissing Tennessee: And other stories from the Stardust Dance. New York: Harcourt. Bany-Winters, L. (2000). Show time! Music, dance, and drama activities for kids. New York: Paperback Books. Blakey, N. (1999). The mudpies book of boredom busters. Berkeley, CA: Tricycle Press.
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Buchanan, P. (2000). Dances with werewolves, (Vol. 8). Nashville, TN: Broadman & Holman Publishers. Dawavendewa, G. (2000). The butterfly dance. New York: Abbeville Press. Dickson, L. (1999). Secret codes. Buffalo, NY: Kids Can Press. Evans, R. P. (1999). The dance. New York: Simon & Schuster. Fletcher, A. C. (1994). Indian games and dances with native songs: Arranged from American Indian ceremonials and sports. Lincoln, NE: University of Nebraska Press. Fort, I. (1985). Tabletop magic and make believe: Fly away to fun and fantasy. Nashville, TN: Incentive Publications. Grace, C. O. (1999). I want to be a dancer. New York: Harcourt. Jessel, C. (2000). Ballet school: What it takes to be a dancer. New York: Viking. Krull, K. (1997). Lives of the athletes: Thrills, spills (and what the neighbors thought). New York: Harcourt. Lasne, J. (1996). Robbie Rabbit. St. Louis, MO: National Family Partnership. Left Hand Ball, J. (1999). Lakota Hoop dancer. New York: N.A.L./Dutton. Lehr, N. (1999). Dance of the crystal skull. Flagstaff, AZ: Northland Publishing.
Lesse, A. (1996). The Pawnee ghost dance and game: Ghost dance revival and ethnic identity. Lincoln, NE: University of Nebraska Press. Milord, S. (1994). Tales alive!: Ten multicultural folktales with activities. Charlotte, VT: Williamson. O’Connor, B. (1999). Katherine Dunham: Pioneer of Black dance. Minneapolis: Lerner. Owings, J. (2000). Rattlesnake dance: True tales, mysteries and rattlesnake ceremonies. Honesdale, PA: Boyds Mills Press. Robishaw, S. (1999). Rosita and Sian search for a great work of art. Oakland, CA: Many Tracks Publishing. Shalant, P. (1998). Look what we’ve brought you from Vietnam: Crafts, games, recipes, stories, and other cultural activities from Vietnamese Americans. Parsippany, NJ: Silver Burdett. Stautberg, E. (1993). What kids like to do. Sandy, OR: MasterMedia Publishing Corp. Yep, L. (1999). The case of the lion dance. New York: HarperCollins.
For additional creative activity resources, visit our Web site at www.EarlyChildEd.delmar.com.
CREATIVE MUSIC OBJECTIVES After studying this chapter, you should be able to: 1. Outline some basic goals for music activities for young children. 2. List guidelines for planning music activities for young children.
Lisa sang to herself in a sing-song way while drawing with crayons: “One purple, two purple, three purple, four purple.” Next to her, William was humming the jingle for a fast-food restaurant advertisement and keeping rhythm with his coloring strokes. Out on the playground, Drew chanted, “I-amgoing-to-be-a-lawn-mo-wer.” And as he slid down the slide, he made a sound like a lawn mower. Picking up his cue, Claire and Christy slid down after him, each on their stomach making motor-growling sounds.
M
usical experiences like these are a common occurrence in a young child’s life. Making up original chants and songs, moving rhythmically to musical beats are quite natural to a young child, for whom music is a natural avenue for creative expression. In contrast, an adult finds it more difficult to be as spontaneous as children in the inclusion of music in everyday life. Consider how your peers would react to your chanting as you read this paragraph, “One para-
graph, two paragraph, three to go—yeah, yeah, yeah.” Unlike William’s humming in our opening scenario, your musical monologue probably would not go unnoticed by your peers as they hummed to themselves! This is the challenge in early childhood education— overcoming an “adult” approach to music so you can share musical experiences with young children in a way that preserves and encourages their innate spontaneous and open attitude. You are challenged in this chapter to put aside any self-consciousness and fears about your own musical talents and to try returning to the openness of a young child experiencing music. You don’t need to know how to play a musical instrument or even be able to read music to plan and conduct creative music experiences for children. Music is created so naturally and easily every day in many forms—by voice, by instruments, even by nature in the rhythm of the rain or the sound of a waterfall. Children are introduced very early to music through radio and television. Music sends commercial messages for everything from cars to breakfast food. Shoppers shop to piped-in classical music, meant to ease frazzled
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nerves and encourage purchasing. Sitting in a dentist’s chair, the patient is treated to music designed to calm, soothe, and even more important, distract attention from the event at hand! The child’s world, too, is filled with music—even his toys make musical sounds. Infants’ windup musical
teddy bears, crib mobiles, and go-to-sleep lullabies are just a few examples of early introductions to music. Young children respond quite naturally to music by rhythmic movement, and they also create their own musical patterns in original chants and songs as well as in unaccompanied rhythmic movements such as swing-
BEHAVIORAL CHARACTERISTICS
AGE
MUSIC EXPERIENCES
Newborn to 1 month
Responds to stimuli by moving entire body.
Quiet singing and rocking soothe the baby. Scary sounds avoided. Sound stimuli important.
1 to 4 months
Changes from hearing to listening. Turns head toward stimulus. Follows moving objects with eyes.
Same as for newborn.
4 to 8 months
Involved in purposeful activity. Reproduces interesting events. Develops hand–eye coordination.
Hits suspended bells again and again to reproduce the sound.
8 to 12 months
Anticipates events, shows intention. Knows that objects have functions. Imitates actions.
Hits drum or xylophone with stick. Claps hands to music. Hits instrument to produce a sound. Understands purpose of instrument.
12 to 18 months
Invents new actions. Uses trial and error to solve problems.
Experiments by hitting instrument in different ways with different objects.
18 to 24 months
Creates new actions through prior thought. Imitates actions after person leaves.
Continues music activity after adult stops. Listens to radio, dances to it.
2 years
Steps in place. Pats. Runs. Increases language. Has limited attention span. Attends to spoken words a few at a time. Develops independence, is very curious. Tendency to tire easily.
Enjoys action songs and moving to music. Can learn short, simple songs. Enjoys activities with short, simple directions. Many opportunities to experiment with instruments and sound. Likes record player because he can watch it turn. Opportunity for frequent rest breaks in strenuous rhythmic experiences. Avoid prolonged activities.
3 years
Jumps, runs, and walks to music. Has self-control. Attentive, has longer attention span. Uses more words. Compares two objects. Participates in planning. Initiative emerges.
Special music for special movements. Can wait for a turn. Longer songs or small group experiences can be planned. Experiments with sound comparisons. Suggests words for songs or additional activities. Can recognize several melodies and may have several favorites. Choices important along with an opportunity to try out own ideas.
4 years
Has better motor control. Interested in rules. Plans ahead with adults.
May begin skipping. Rule songs and games appropriate. Can make suggestions for music activities.
FIGURE 17–1
Developmental characteristics and music experiences.
CHAPTER 17
ing, tapping, and even rocking in a chair. Activities that make up the natural beginnings of musical learning right in the home can be extended by the early childhood teacher to classroom music activities. In an early childhood program, music of all kinds is appropriate. For example, the sounds of a slow Duke Ellington tune and a fast rhythmic portion of Stravinsky’s Rite of Spring are equally appropriate for your children. Background music in the early childhood classroom can be as soft and soothing as Schubert’s Cradle Song or Brahm’s Lullaby. Or for a
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change of pace, and a more lively mood, classics such as Tambourine by Gretry or Bach’s Badinerie can be used. Good music of all types has a place in all early childhood programs. As with other areas of the curriculum, appropriate music activities can be planned only if the teacher understands the developmental levels of the children involved. Although individual rates of development vary widely, the sequence of development follows a particular pattern. Figure 17–1 shows some important behavioral characteristics for each stage of develop-
BEHAVIORAL CHARACTERISTICS
AGE
Creative Music
MUSIC EXPERIENCES
Likes to imagine.
Adds words to songs. Creates songs on instruments. Dramatic movements. Likes to experiment with the piano. Likes to play records over and over. Can identify simple melodies.
5 to 6 years
Has good motor control. Likes to have rules. Vision not yet fully developed; eye movements slow; likely to have trouble seeing small print or making fine linear distinctions when music staff is not enlarged. Heart in stage of rapid growth.
Able to sit longer. Enjoys songs and dances with rules. Can follow specific rhythm patterns. May pick out tunes on the piano. Likes musical movies but may become restless. Strenuous activity periods should be brief.
7 to 8 years
Begins to read written symbols. Concerned with rules. Cooperation and competition. Logical thought processes emerge. Can compare more than two objects after first object removed (seriation). Thoroughly enjoys group play, but groups tend to be small. Boys and girls play together.
May be able to read words to songs. Rule dances and songs especially valued. Better able to tell reality from fantasy. Can compare three or more sounds or pitches. Likes duets and doing anything musical with a friend. May want to take piano or dancing lessons. Likes group activities including singing games, playing informal instruments, phrase games.
9 to 11 years
Has more developed language arts skills. Understands rules and strategies of games. Peer group assumes greater importance. Logical thought processes are present. Has more flexible thought. Enjoys play with peer group. Boys and girls prefer same-sex play. Begins to see other’s opinions and ideas as unique.
Can read words to songs, can create original lyrics. Enjoys dances with varied steps and patterns. Begins to enjoy small group singing experiences, such as duets, trios, chorale. Can compare sounds, pitch, rhythms in music. Can understand elements of music such as tone, basic notations, styles, and forms of music. Introduce harmony and part singing for small groups. Provide duet singing experiences, all boy, all girl singing groups. Enjoys multicultural music and dance.
FIGURE 17–1
Developmental characteristics and music experiences. (Continued)
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■ experience in playing simple instruments, moving to rhythms, and expressing emotions in motion during musical activities ■ learning to identify some basic musical concepts and terms, such as loud and soft, fast and slow, and high and low For older children, these goals also include the following: ■ opportunities to sing in parts, rounds, and in harmony ■ to learn about a variety of major musical works such as operas, ballets, symphonies, concerts, and chamber music ■ have listening experiences with instruments and tonal qualities of strings, woodwinds, brass, and percussion ■ recognize basic meter and rhythmic notation by sound FIGURE 17–2
Musical activities with simple instruments are appropriate for young children.
ment, along with their effect on a child’s experiences with music. This material is based on the theories of Piaget (Wadsworth, 1979) and Erickson (1963) and the writings of Todd and Heffernan (1977). Figure 17–1 may be used as a guide for choosing from the musical activities for children listed at the end of this chapter.
GOALS FOR YOUNG CHILDREN’S MUSIC EXPERIENCES Music is a common and enjoyable occurrence in a young child’s life. One of the main goals of musical activities for young children is to maintain this natural appreciation of musical experiences. Focusing and then building on this natural enjoyment of music will help you produce the most successful and joyous music program for young children. As in all early childhood activities, it is the process that teaches and enriches a young child and not the finished product. Other goals of the early childhood music program include the following: ■ numerous opportunities to sing a wide variety of songs ■ frequent exposure to various forms of music with wide ranges of rhythms, tempos, and moods ■ opportunities to hear and learn about music from different cultures and ethnic groups ■ endless opportunities to express feelings and emotions in song, rhythm, and movement
PLANNING MUSIC ACTIVITIES The two keys to success in all your musical endeavors are flexibility and acceptance. You should be able to accept more than one kind of response to a music activity and adapt the activity accordingly. If, for example, the child in a planned clapping activity chooses to pat the rug or his leg, accept the response and imitate it as you continue the activity. In fact, the child may interpret your imitation of his response as a form of praise, thus making the enjoyment of what he is doing even greater. Or if the child is more interested in just listening to music than in dancing to it, accept that too. Try to catch him for your dancing activity at another time when he is in a dancing mood. In other words, take
FIGURE 17–3
Children move to music in uniquely individual ways.
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Quality Music for Children
The quality of the music young children experience in your program is as important as the quantity. Research has shown that children’s preference for certain musical selections becomes habitual at an early age (Achilles, 1992). For this reason, children should listen to a wide variety of music to develop their preferences. Expand selections from only “children’s music” to include music of all styles and cultures. The Ethnic Folkways label is one source for authentic music from many countries. Consult with people who are knowledgeable about customs and practices of a particular culture or research it at the library to ensure that the music is used properly. For example, some Native American sacred songs and dances are performed by Native Americans only or by men or women only, while other social songs may be enjoyed by everyone. Select good quality CDs, tapes, and playback equipment. Discard scratched or warped recordings and update old or inferior equipment. Remote-control CD players can help teachers save precious time by finding specific tracks immediately from any location in the room. Karaoke machines provide microphones for children to use to sing alone or with the music. Select tape recorders with multiple headphone jacks so that several children can listen at the same time to tapes. Preview music, when possible, before purchasing. Select music with rich and interesting orchestration. Singing voices should lie within the child’s pitch range (not too high or low). Adults’ and children’s voices should sound natural on the music. Use care with songs that teach nonmusical concepts such as colors or traffic safety. The words sometimes take precedence over the music. Reprinted with permission from the National Association for the Education of Young Children.
your cues from the children and build enjoyment and learning on what they already find enjoyable. Build, don’t tear down, the joyful world music naturally creates for young children. With these guidelines in mind and with an understanding of the developmental needs of children at different ages, a teacher may plan appropriate musical activities for young children. Let us now consider some examples of specific musical experiences appropriate for young children. MUSICAL EXPERIENCES Infants and very young toddlers experience music by hearing it, by feeling it, and by experimenting with pitch and timbre as they vocalize. Adults can provide infants and toddlers music experiences daily while giving children caring, physical contact. Singing to children during changing and feeding times is a basic way to provide music experiences for very young children. Playing music during periods of the day is another. Adults can further encourage the musical development of infants and toddlers by exposing them to a wide variety of vocal, instrumental, and environmental sounds. Simple things like talking about the sounds children
hear on their walks outside, if they are loud sounds or soft, if they are near or far away, are basic beginning music experiences for very young children. In the classroom, infants and toddlers need to hear all kinds of music. Adults need to talk about this music and how it expresses feelings. Rocking, patting, touching, and moving with the children to the beat, rhythm patterns, and melodic direction of the music are all appropriate musical experiences for infants and toddlers. When children enter the preschool program, music continues to be an important part of their lives. Listen to the sounds of young children playing in the housekeeping corner, on the playground, in the sandbox, and in the building block area—you will often hear young children in these everyday situations singing, humming, or chanting familiar songs. Songs and singing are a common occurrence in the everyday life of a young child. Therefore, teaching songs and singing are a natural part of the early childhood program. The way in which you teach songs and singing to young children reflects the same natural and enjoyable place music holds in a young child’s life. The following suggestions are intended to help you present songs and singing experiences in the early
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HOW TO PRESENT A SONG TO CHILDREN
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The method you choose to present a song to children will depend on the mood and the nature of the song itself. 1. Phrase-wise method. Introduce the song with a brief story, discussion, or question. Sing one phrase and ask children to repeat. Then sing two phrases and so on. 2. Whole-song method. Present the whole song in a variety of ways, rhythmic moving, dancing, playing instruments, or dramatizing to make repetition interesting and meaningful. 3. Combination of phrase-wise and whole-song method. The teacher sings and presents the whole song, but asks the children to respond to the easiest part of it—with voices, hands, or an instrument.
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4. Teaching songs from recordings. The wholesong method is used, responding to the music rhythmically, dramatically, and with instruments. The teacher can use his own voice to clarify the words after several playings. The songs in the “Activities for Children” section of this chaptert are good choices for presenting songs to young children. You may, of course, have many other songs of your own to teach the children in your group. The songbooks listed at the end of this unit contain numerous other songs appropriate for young children.
childhood program in a way that maintains the young child’s natural musical interest. ■ Choose songs that have a natural appeal for young children. Popular topics include the children themselves, family members, animals, seasons, toys, holidays, etc. Be sure to include songs for all ethnic and cultural groups represented in the class, as well as in the larger community group. ■ Choose songs with a clear, strong melody. If the melody is easy to hear, it will be easier to remember. ■ Try out all songs yourself first. ■ Once you’ve chosen a song, learn it yourself—and learn it well. Nothing is less inspiring to eager songsters than a teacher who has to check notes while teaching a song. ■ Based on the length of a song, you may want to teach it in sections, by verses, or even in short phrases. Often, a song’s wording may be a bit tricky, and you may want to practice key words a bit more. Whatever method you choose, remember to be light on practice and heavy on praise. Don’t make learning a song work; instead, give chil-
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dren lots of verbal encouragement during singing activities. Visual aids can help add to the pleasure of singing and song activities. Pictures of key characters in the song or a series of pictures of key song events, add interest to song activities. For example, a flannel board with farm animals for “Farmer in the Dell” helps add interest to this old favorite song. Use puppets to accompany your teaching a song to children. If you’re shy, this will help, as children can’t help but focus on the puppet and not you! Keep on hand a list of songs you have taught the children. They really enjoy singing old favorites, and it’s easy to forget which songs they know. You may want to post the list with some associated picture words so that the children can choose their favorites. Encourage all attempts at singing. Just as with other developmental skills, each child will perform at his own unique level. Thus, there is never any reason to compare children’s singing or encourage children to compete with one another. If you’ve ever had the experience of hearing a group of children attempting to out-shout one another in a choral performance, you will know firsthand the results of encouraging competition between young children in singing. In the first stages of teaching a song, use a record, tape, or CD. But be careful not to use them too often in the process of teaching songs, to avoid causing a dependence on equipment over the human voice. You and the children can sing without them! Add movements, gestures, and props when appropriate for the song and for the children. A too-heavy emphasis on gimmicks to teach a song is unnecessary if you have chosen a song that interests the children and is of an appropriate level of difficulty for them to learn. Added devices need to be thought of as “spices” and used as such: a few appropriately placed hand gestures in a song is like a dash of cinnamon in the applesauce. An entire routine of cute gestures and too many props adds too much “spice” to the recipe. Let preserving the integrity of both the song and the children be your guides in the use of all “extras” in teaching songs to young children. Include the new song in other areas of the curriculum by playing the song softly during center time or rest periods. Introduce new books related to the song’s topic in the language-arts area. Include art activities related to the song’s topic throughout the week’s activities.
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■ Tape the children singing the song. Have the tape available in the listening center for the children to enjoy (with earphones or without). Play the tape during your next musical activity session. You may want to retape the next version—with rhythm instruments, with a “solo” performance by one of the children, or with any other new variation you and the children prefer. ■ Make rhythm instruments like the circle embroidery hoop, egg shaker, and small plastic bottle rattles (instructions provided later in this chapter) as an activity in the arts and crafts center. Have the children use these as a rhythmic accompaniment to the song. ■ Make “flutes” out of paper towel or tissue paper rolls. (Instructions provided later in this chapter.) Have the children decorate them with crayons, colored markers, and stickers, and use their “flutes” to “hum along” to the song.
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gram including popular songs gives young children a familiar sound, a friendly starting point. Developmentally, it is appropriate to begin with the familiar, using it as a base for the introduction of new concepts to the child. Variety in choice of music can also be provided by the families of the children. A teacher may find a rich source of musical variety by asking families to share the names of their favorite music or to share tapes, records, or CDs with the class for special activities. In preparing for special ethnic and cultural celebrations, for example, you might find families willing to share favorite holiday music with your group. Some parents may be willing to sing for the group or bring in special instruments for the children to see and hear. The key is to go beyond your likes and the dictates of curriculum guides into the children’s lives, their parents’ lives, and the community at large, where a variety of music awaits you and your group.
Variety in presentation. We’ve already discussed VARYING THE RHYTHM OF THE PROGRAM Just as variety is the spice of life, variety provides the same spark for the early childhood music program. Although young children enjoy the stability that routine provides, it is important to vary these routines to prevent lessening their, and your own, interest in music. Consider how many people can’t remember the words to our national anthem, even though they’ve heard it innumerable times: it has become so routine that people don’t really hear it anymore. They’ve heard it so often, they don’t actively listen to it anymore. The same thing can happen in your early childhood music program if you have too rigid a routine. Varying the rhythm of the music program helps hold children’s interests and makes the experience enjoyable. Variety can be provided in your choice of music, your method of presentation, and your lesson planning.
several basic methods of presenting a song. In addition to these basics, you need to consider other ways to add variety to your presentation of songs and musical experiences for young children.
Variety in choice of music. In choosing music for young children, your own interests as well as the children’s can improve the variety of your music program. Children’s music need not be exclusively from music resource books. In an early childhood classroom, music selections can include classical, jazz, rap, rock, Native American, South American, and African music, to name only a few. Young children are very interested in what’s new and different and enjoy hearing popular music. In fact, most preschool children can name their favorite pop singers and their latest hits. Although music experiences should expose young children to a wide variety of musical styles, a music pro-
FIGURE 17–4
Each child approaches musical activities in his own way.
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Variety in lesson planning.
FIGURE 17–5
Rhythm sticks are easy and fun to use while marching to the beat.
■ Vary the time of day you have musical activities. Switch from afternoons to mornings and vice versa. Also, don’t neglect the spontaneous inclusion of a song during the day. Mixing up a recipe together is an excellent time to vary your program by singing as you work with the children. Singing a song on a nature walk is another. Swinging and singing on the playground is fun. And who can refrain from a song (“The Wheels on the Bus” is an obvious example) on a bus trip? In essence, plan for the unexpected occasion to sing and have a mental repertoire of songs to sing with the children. Singing can make an ordinary event joyous, so start making a list of favorites for this very reason. ■ Vary your presentation by having the children choose the songs they want to sing and how they want to present them. Be sure to have available puppets, pictures, rhythm instruments, and audiovisual or other necessary equipment for their creative choices. ■ Play games with music. Musical chairs is only one of these games. Games can focus on voice recognition. For example, a child is challenged to guess who is humming the song or who sang the last verse. A “name that tune” game is also a way to vary the presentation of songs. Play, sing, or hum a few bars of a song for the children to guess. Charades, or acting out a song, is an appropriate musical game for older children.
The key to variety in lesson planning is cross-curricular planning. More specifically, music need not be planned for only one area of the curriculum. Music should cross all curricular areas, and this can be accomplished by specifically planning for it to do just that. Here are some suggestions for this specific planning: ■ When making lesson plans for the week, include music in at least two other curricular areas. For example, plan to play music during art activities, and note which selections you will use and on which day. Be sure to make a note to have the tape ready and the tape player set up for the days required. Then, plan to read a book at group time that relates to the new song(s) introduced that week. Plan to locate the book early. ■ Use music as your cue to adding new materials and props to the housekeeping and dramatic centers. For example, engineer hats, trains, and railroad signs are natural additions when you’ve planned to teach “I’ve Been Working on the Railroad” to the children. Putting the book The Little Engine That Could (Piper, 1986) in the book corner is another example of a music-inspired topic used in another curricular area. ■ Review past lesson plans to assist you in your future planning. We are creatures of habit and often tend to get in a rut when making lesson plans. Review past plans to see what kinds of music you have been introducing, the method of presentation, and curricular coverage. If a pattern is obvious, then you need a change! Make a conscious effort to find new types of music or methods of presentation, or plan a new schedule of times/days for music. If you are bored with the lessons and the planning of music lessons, the children will reflect this as well. ■ Use a variety of sources for music experiences for young children. See the book list at the end of this chapter for songbooks and other books on musical experiences for children.
RHYTHM ACTIVITIES Rhythm is present from life’s earliest moments, when a baby hears its mother’s heartbeat. Infants continue to enjoy rhythms in many everyday situations, such as the soothing ticking beat of a windup swing or the soft sounds and smooth rhythms of a lullaby. In an early childhood program, one of a child’s earliest musical experiences is clapping and moving to rhythmic music. The addition of rhythm instruments is another traditional practice in early childhood music
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Internet Sources for Music Experiences
The Internet is an excellent resource for information on early childhood music. Here are some Web sites that provide activities and ideas to expand and liven up your music program. American Music Conference International Service—www.amc-music.com American Orff-Schulwerk Association—www.childrensmusic.org Dalcroze Society of America—www.dalcrozeusa.org/index.htm Early Childhood News (The Journal of Professional Development)— www.earlychildhoodnews.com ERIC Clearinghouse on Elementary and Early Childhood Education and Activity Resources—www.ericeece.org Idea Box: Early Childhood Education and Activity Resources—www.theideabox.com Kindermusik—www.kindermusik.com MENC (The National Association for Music Education)—www.menc.org Music for Little Folks—www.ur-net.com/music-little-folks Musikgarten—www.musikgarten.org Organization of American Kodaly Educators—www.oake.org National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC)—www.naeyc.org National Institute on Early Childhood Development and Education (U.S. Dept. of Ed.)— www.ed.gov/offices/OERI/ECI
programs. Young children, who love movement and motion in general, are naturally drawn to the use of rhythm instruments. Listening first to the music for its rhythmic pattern and then matching the beat with rhythm instruments is the most familiar method of introducing rhythm instruments. Having young children listen to the music and clap out the beat with their hands or tap it out with their feet is another appropriate, traditional rhythm activity. A teacher can also help a child’s development of rhythm by focusing on the natural movements of the child. For example, teachers can follow a child’s natural walking or running tempo by accompanying her steps on the drum. This can quickly become a game as the child, realizing that her steps dictate the beat of the drum, walks faster and slower. Following children’s galloping and skipping with the drum can also illustrate through sound the asymmetrical nature of those rhythms. The drum can emphasize the accent when running children leap over an object, or it can mark groups of beats (meter). Teachers can also mark the beat as children jump over a series of meter sticks laid out in parallel formation or pass a ball from hand to hand. Children will have more success in
movement and music activities if they are not required to synchronize their movements to an external musical source. Teachers can provide a more fulfilling movement experience by fitting the external music source, such as a drumbeat, to the child’s movement. Whenever rhythm instruments are added, they should have a specific purpose. Instruments are not used just to make “noise,” but rather to enhance the activity. Instruments should be in good condition. Be sure children know the proper use of rhythm instrucments before beginning any activities. Instruments may be hung on a pegboard or placed on a shelf within the child’s easy reach. Using rhythm instruments, children learn to listen for a pattern of sounds in the music. In beginning rhythm activities, it’s a good idea to choose music with a clear, easy-to-hear beat or rhythm. Marches and many types of ethnic music are excellent choices for this strong beat. Some children may have difficulty hearing rhythms and/or reproducing them. This can be handled in the same way you would handle a reluctant singer. Specifically, never force the child to copy your pattern or to use a rhythm instrument or practice this activity. Your emphasis should be on the child’s natural enjoy-
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ment of music. Whether he can reproduce a rhythm or not is not essential to his enjoyment of music. As many an adult can attest, not being able to sing on key or reproduce rhythms does not affect one’s enjoyment of music. Rhythm instruments may be made by the children as well as by the teacher. Using recycled materials, such as toweling rolls, pebbles, and spools can be yet another creative outlet for young children. (See Appendix E for suggestions on how to create rhythm instruments from recycled materials.)
MUSIC EXPERIENCES FOR OLDER CHILDREN With children in the middle and upper elementary grades, teachers are able to offer a broader array of musical experiences for children. These activities are covered in detail in many of the books listed at the end of this chapter. One of the most basic experiences children of this age need to have is a broader experience with a variety of forms and styles of music. Students in this age group need to have even more listening experiences with the world’s finest music including the classics, multi-cultural folk, and composed music. By the end of fifth grade, students should have been exposed to the main periods of music history and acquainted with composers and repertoire from each period. For these older children’s listening experiences, the following are the periods of musical history and composers associated with each period: ■ Baroque—Bach, Handel, Corelli
FIGURE 17–6
Leading the marching “band” is great fun.
■ Classic—Haydn, Mozart, Beethoven ■ Romantic—Weber, Schubert, Schumann, Mendelssohn, Chopin, Wagner, Liszt, Brahms, J. Strauss, Tchaikovsky, Moussorgsky, Saint-Saëns, MacDowell, Grieg ■ Post-Romantic and Impressionist—R. Strauss, Sibelius, Dukas, Debussy, Ravel, Respighi ■ Modern—Stavinsky, Bartók, Kodály, Prokofiev, Hindemith, Villa-Lobos, Copland, Thomson, Menotti, Bernstein ■ Light classic—Gershwin, Rodgers and Hammerstein, Gilbert and Sullivan, Irving Berlin ■ Jazz and popular—Miles Davis, Marselis, Basie, the Beatles, and Elvis ■ Ethnic and folk The varied treatment that composers have given the musical elements has resulted in different styles of music. The labels that are given these styles are also
applicable to art and literature. For example, music experiences in the Impressionist music of Debussy can be associated with Impressionist paintings of Mary Cassat. Art and music can both be enjoyed from the Impressionist style and time in history. The same is true for music of all periods. Singing is an important classroom activity for children in the middle and upper elementary grades. Opportunities to sing in parts (harmony) or in rounds (like “Row, row, row your boat”) are enjoyable musical experiences for children of this age. They are becoming more familiar with vocal ranges, female (soprano, mezzo-soprano, and alto) and male (tenor, baritone, and bass). They are able to sing simple melodies while reading a musical score. They are learning more about musical notation as well. For example, they can begin to recognize and understand what a whole note, halfnote, and rest notations mean.
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KEY TERMS acceptance in teaching music appropriate music activities combination of phrase-wise and whole-song method flexibility in teaching music phrase-wise method quality (in music experiences) vs. quantity rhythm instruments teaching songs from recordings varying the rhythm of the music program whole-song method
SUMMARY Music is a common occurrence in a young child’s life. Making up original chants and songs and moving rhythmically to musical beats are quite natural to a young child. Music is a natural avenue for a young child’s creative expression. Appropriate musical experiences for young children must take into account the child’s developmental level and need for self-expression. Careful planning is essential in providing successful learning experiences for children. In this planning, the teacher must consider many things. First, the teacher must plan for the developmental level of the group. Next, it is important to include activities from each area of music—singing, rhythm, instruments, movement, listening, and musical concepts, such as loud and soft. It is equally important to be flexible and happy when presenting musical activities to children. You must enjoy yourself as much as the children. Presenting songs to children may be done by either the phrase-wise method, whole-song method, a combination of these, or teaching songs from recordings. Rhythm instruments may also be used with songs, and these instruments may be teacher- and child-made. Older children can be introduced to an array of classical music styles. These can be related to art and literature of the same period. Children of this age group enjoy singing songs of varied styles and forms.
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LEARNING ACTIVITIES A. Form a group of three or four children from your program, neighborhood, or local school. Spend at least 15 minutes with them singing songs they know and new ones you teach them. Following this session, write an anecdotal record for each child commenting on (a) participation in singing, (b) attitude,
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and (c) knowledge of songs. Compare and contrast the children and comment on the likenesses and differences you found in each anecdotal record. Select from additional sources provided at the end of this chapter an appropriate song for each of the following groups of children: four-year-olds, sixyear-olds, two-year-olds. Justify each choice using the criterion and information provided in this chapter. Do the same activity with a group of children in grades 4–5. From your own childhood, recall several popular singing games and action songs that you have not found in this chapter. Tape each song along with clear directions on how to play the game or move to the song. Share the activities with your classmates. Choose one of your own favorite songs (popular, rock, country). Teach it to your fellow classmates, using one of the methods discussed. Discuss your experience, including the following points: How well did your “class” learn by the method you chose? Did you feel comfortable using this method? Discuss how you would feel teaching a song you didn’t especially like. Would it make any difference in your effectiveness? Using a box of animal crackers and one of the suggested rhythm instruments (preferably a drum) or a hand-clapping accompaniment from your classmates, try the following creative/interpretive movement to rhythm activity: 1. Take out one animal cracker and note what animal it is. 2. “Become” that animal, acting it out by walking, hopping, sliding, etc. 3. Have one (or several) of your classmates pick up your rhythm and beat or clap, accompanying your movement. 4. See who can guess what animal you are. Whoever guesses correctly gets the next opportunity to “become an animal.” Using a concept song like “Round the Mulberry Bush” (describing a daily routine), make up several verses and accompanying motions. Share your song and actions with your classmates for comments and improvements. Tape your song to use later with a group of young children. Examples of other concept songs: “Old MacDonald Had a Farm,” “If You’re Happy and You Know It,” and “The Wheels on the Bus.” Make a drum (tin coffee can with plastic lid, empty oatmeal carton with lid) for the following rhythm activity: 1. Beat a rhythm on the drum for walking, running, skipping, and hopping movements. 2. Beat out a pattern of rhythm and have your
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peers repeat it by clapping hands (or by using their own handmade drums!). 3. Imitate a pattern clapped (or made on a drum) by one of your peers in the class. 4. Sing a song (your own creation, if you like) to accompany a rhythm you make on your drum. H. Begin a card file of songs for young children. Use your school library to locate songbooks for young children and choose at least two songs for each of the following categories: Category Sample Songs emotions “If You’re Happy and You Know It” actions “Here We Go Looby Loo” birthdays concepts I. Obtain a music supply catalog. Choose $100.00 worth of teaching materials. Explain why you chose each item, for what age group, and how you plan to use it. J. Make a set of simple rhythm instruments as suggested in the chapter end activities. Use these instruments in a demonstration lesson on rhythm for your classmates. K. Choose one of the composers from a particular period of music mentioned in this chapter. Get a CD or tape of one of the pieces referred to in this chapter. Make a lesson plan for either grade 3, grade 4, or grade 5 using this piece of music. Be sure to relate the music to art and language arts activities of the same period. Share your plan with your fellow students.
SONGS FOR CHILDREN Note: These verses may be used alone or to a steady march tempo as accompaniment, such as “Turkey in the Straw.” The value of these verses is in identification of body parts, counting, and diversionary activity. Clap Your Hands Clap your hands, count one, two, three; Pull your ear, and slap your knee; Stamp your feet, one two, three, four; Wiggle your fingers and touch the floor. Raise your hands up to the skies; Touch your nose, then touch your eyes; Stamp your feet, one, two, three, four; Wiggle your fingers and touch the floor. Elbows out, now be a bird; Touch your mouth without a word; Softly clap and stamp your feet; Tiptoe quietly and take your seat.
The Ants Go Marching One by One The ants go marching one by one Hurrah! Hurrah! (Repeat) When the ants go marching one by one The little one stops to suck his thumb And they all go marching down to earth —to get out of the rain— Boom, boom, boom, boom, boom, boom, boom, boom! The ants go marching two by two Hurrah! Hurrah! (Repeat) When the ants go marching two by two The little one stops to tie his shoe And they all go marching down to earth —to get out of the rain— Boom, boom, boom, boom, boom, boom, boom, boom! The ants go marching three by three Hurrah! Hurrah! (Repeat) When the ants go marching three by three The little one stops to climb a tree And they all go marching down to earth —to get out of the rain— Boom, boom, boom, boom, boom, boom, boom, boom! Verses: The ants go marching four by four The little one stops to shut the door. The ants go marching five by five The little one stops to kick a hive. The ants go marching six by six The little one stops to pick up some sticks. Eight by eight—shut the gate. Nine by nine—pick up a dime. Ten by ten—shout THE END. If You’re Happy and You Know It If you’re happy and you know it Clap your hands (Clap, clap). (Repeat) If you’re happy and you know it Then your face will surely show it. If you’re happy and you know it Clap your hands (Clap, clap). If you’re angry and you know it Stamp your feet (Stamp, stamp). (Repeat) If you’re angry and you know it Your face will surely show it. If you’re angry and you know it Stamp your feet (Stamp, stamp). If you’re sad and you know it Shed a tear (Sniff, sniff). (Repeat) If you’re sad and you know it
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Your face will surely show it. If you‘re sad and you know it Shed a tear (Sniff, sniff). If you‘re weary and you know it Heave a sigh (Whee-you). (Repeat refrains) If you‘re joyous and you know it Click your heels (Click, click). (Repeat refrains) MUSICAL LISTENING ACTIVITIES The following are activities designed to help young children sharpen their musical listening skills. They are most successful when used as fun “musical challenges” for young children and not as rote exercises. Space them throughout your daily and weekly activity planning, not just in the music portion of your curriculum. The auditory and listening skills they develop are used in all curriculum areas. A. Listening for specific sounds and being able to tell what they are (auditory discrimination). 1. Have a child play a musical instrument such as a bell, tambourine, drum, triangle, or wood block. Another child closes his eyes and identifies the object played. 2. A variation of the same game is to have two sounds played, and both are then identified. The number can gradually be increased to see how many can be identified at once. 3. A child can go to the piano or some other instrument and hit a high or low note. The children can show with their hands, arms, or body whether the note is high or low. 4. Listen for the sound of a bell, drum, etc., from some specific position in the room. The children close their eyes and identify where the sound came from. They might also identify the instrument and tell whether the tone was loud or soft. 5. Children identify instruments by comparing two different tones, such as large and small horns, large and small bells, wood blocks, and play blocks. B. Listening for sounds of nature. The children close their eyes and listen for the rain, leaves rustling, the wind, birds, hail, snow, etc. C. Listening for school sounds. Children walking, people laughing, bells ringing, etc. D. Listening for outdoor sounds. Whistles, trucks, cars, train, airplane, etc. Encourage children to use descriptive words for the sounds, such as, “It is like a bang, buzz, knock, or crash.”
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SHARING PRERECORDED MUSIC Try using the Suzuki method when introducing children to a musical classic such as “Peter and the Wolf.” Before actually introducing the classic to the children, play the piece as background music for several weeks, during center time, for example. Then, when you tell the story of Peter and the Wolf, the children already will have learned to distinguish the various melodies in the piece and will be able to anticipate what comes next. Follow up with another few weeks of just listening to the piece. Using the Suzuki method, children will never forget the music they learned. INSTRUMENT IDENTIFICATION GAME Set up the music center with two chairs and tables separated by a divider. On one side of the divider, place several rhythm instruments on the table. On the other side, place pictures of the instruments. As the child on one side plays an instrument, the child on the other side holds up the picture of the identified instrument. USING LITERATURE WITH MUSIC Read Sebastian’s Trumpet (Imai, 1995). Before reading it, ask the children what musical instrument they would like to receive as a gift. Show and read the title of the book. Explain that in the story, Sebastian has difficulty playing his trumpet. After discussing their ideas about why he has difficulty playing, then read the story. Then, with the children, discuss what Sebastian did and how his problem was solved. Invite the children to tell why they might like to play a trumpet or any other instrument.
ACTIVITIES FOR CHILDREN MUSICAL IMAGINATIONS Ask your children to think of a small animal and a large animal. Then divide the group into two groups, having one group be the small animals, and the other the large animals. When you play music with high notes, have the small animals move and dance. When you play low notes, have the large animal group move and dance. THE BLUE DANUBE WALTZ Swinging and rocking are favorite movements of young children, and Strauss waltzes possess a compelling feeling of movement that even adults find hard to resist.
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Not only do children enjoy swinging their own bodies to Strauss waltzes, but will enjoy swinging with a doll or favorite stuffed animal or puppet. In modeling swinging movements, very young children may not be able to swing their arms in parallel motion because of an inability to cross the midline of the body. Thus, the teacher may need to model symmetrical arm movements. By three years of age some children will be able to swing arms in parallel action. ANIMALS/INSECTS Use the following classical musical selections for creative movements in acting out animals or insects. You may want to introduce the piece by giving it name, and briefly discussing how this animal or insect would move. ■ Griffes—“The White Peacock” ■ Liadov—“Dance of the Mosquito” ■ Rimsky-Korsakoff—“Flight of the Bumblebee” ■ Saint-Saëns—“The Swan” from Carnival of the Animals ■ Bizet—“Leap Frog” from Children’s Games ■ Debussy—“Golliwog’s Cakewalk” from The Children’s Corner Suite
ACTIVITIES FOR OLDER CHILDREN (GRADES 4–5) MUSICAL MURAL While teachers frequently provide background music during art activities, rarely do children have the chance to demonstrate their musical imaginations in a complete and satisfying way. Rather than treating the music as “wallpaper music,” i.e., present but not really a point of focus, this mural activity invites children to give shape to their thoughts and feelings associated with a piece of music. Whether they have visions of sugar plums or rap jive movements dancing in their heads, the teacher’s task is to guide the children in developing their imagery into a story told through a mural. Begin with a musical selection that is programmatic and concrete such as Peter and the Wolf. After discussing major episodes, assign children to particular scenes of the story to work on panels of the mural. Let the children flesh out details of the story through visual elements (colors, shape, perspective, and line). Draw their attention to musical aspects which help tell the story (volume, speed, instrumentation). Next, children can progress to more abstract listening exercises connected to various content areas. The class,
for example, could be divided into groups with each group painting a picture based upon Pinocchio, Pocahontas, Sleeping Beauty Ballet, or The Nutcracker Suite (language arts) or using other pieces of music such as La Mer (science); The Blue Danube, or The Moldau (social studies). The children can create the mural prior to learning the title and/or story of the music. This exercise encourages active listening. Ask the children what story they hear in the music. Do they all hear similar stories? How does the story they have envisioned match the actual title of the piece? What do they think the composer had in mind? These are only some of the questions that can be used to help children compare/contrast while integrating concepts from several content areas. ART HISTORY/AESTHETIC AWARENESS Gather several musical selections from composers of the Impressionist Period listed in this chapter. Choose one or two to play for your class. Explain that the music is from a period called “Impressionism” and that this was a movement in art as well. Obtain and display art prints of Impressionist painters such as Monet and Cassat. Briefly discuss Impressionism in art: Impressionism developed in France during the 1860s. The artists who worked in this style wished to portray the particular qualities of light and color at a moment of time during the day. They usually took their paints outdoors so they could see and study colors. The unusually light and bright colors in Impressionist paintings “shocked” many critics of the 1860s. Impressionist painters rarely used black or gray. For shadows they preferred deep violets, blues, and the like. They also preferred to use patches or dot-like areas of color rather than strong outlines. They wanted the eye to “blend” the colors by placing small dots of color next to each other, allowing the eyes to “blend” them together. Students may want to paint in a similar manner as Impressionists to experiment with this technique. Of course, painting outdoors is the best way to experience this style!
MUSIC IN ART An easy way of connecting music and art is to deal directly with both. Children do this when they listen to music and make pictures of what they hear or when they look at art and make music of what they see. Many musicians have been inspired by art. Stephen Sondheim based an entire musical—Sunday in the Park with George (1984)—on a single painting,
CHAPTER 17
Georges Seurat’s A Sunday on La Grande Jatte (1884). Use the following suggested works of art to help elementary children “hear” art as music: Goya’s Boy on a Ram, Lichtenstein’s Brushstroke with Spatter, and Picasso’s The Old Guitarist. Of course, you may use any other selections you feel are suitable for your particular group of children. The goal is to have them see, hear, and create music and art as a relationship between two art forms. An art museum is undoubtedly the best source for visual images, but good quality reproductions of original art (available at art stores or museum shops) can serve as effective substitutes. A teacher can begin by leading the children in an exploration of sound and movement. Ask the students, “How many ways can you move your hands?” “How many different sounds can you make with them?” “What kinds of sounds can you make with your mouth and voice?” “What sounds can you make with the classroom percussion instruments?” These questions—and others like them—will establish a working repertoire and create a comfortable atmosphere for experimentation. Have the children describe the sounds in as much detail as they can. Let them tell you whether the sounds are loud, soft, long, short, high, low, smooth, rough, and so on. Invite them to elaborate on the things that they are reminded of by these sounds. Such activities will invite the children to interpret as sound the trotting of the ram in Goya’s Boy on a Ram. They will “hear” the tinkle of the ram’s bell and the snap of the boy’s riding crop. In Lichtenstein’s Brushstroke with Spatter they will “hear” the bold splash and strokes superimposed over the regular precise dots. In Picasso’s The Old Guitarist they will “hear” the mellow sounds from the old guitar. Encourage the children to note size, shape, line, texture, color, repetition, emphasis, and contrast in the art prints. Suggest ways of interpreting all of these elements as sounds. They may propose playing the dots in Lichtenstein’s piece in a regular rhythm on a woodblock throughout the entire composition. They may decide to play the spatter by striking and shaking a tambourine and the brushstrokes by stroking a guitar.
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play this work of art.” Find out which parts they think they should play alone, as solos, and which parts they want to play together, in chorus. Ask them in what order they think they should play the parts. Act as the composer/conductor for the first performance; then allow a series of students to take that role. Let the composer/conductor choose from the proposed sounds the ones that they want to use to represent each visual element. Allow them to conduct the piece more than once if necessary in order to achieve the effects they desire.
CHAPTER REVIEW 1. Discuss what you consider the greatest obstacles to overcome in order to be an effective music teacher. Relate these to your own personal situation. 2. Describe some examples of how the child spontaneously approaches music. How early do children become involved in musical experiences? Who initiates these activities? 3. What are some basic ways to teach young children new songs? Give an example of each way from your own experience. 4. Discuss what you consider to be one of the most important teacher characteristics in a successful early childhood music program. Give additional characteristics you feel are also necessary. 5. How necessary is it to accompany the singing of young children? If you can’t play the piano, how would you conduct a singing activity with young children? 6. How would you introduce a new song to young children? Use an example of a specific song. 7. What advice would you give a teacher who is afraid to teach music because she can’t play an instrument and doesn’t know anything about musical notation, theory, etc.? Be specific in your reply, giving suggested activities. 8. What would you do when instead of clapping the rhythm as directed, a child bounces up and down to the beat? How important is your handling of this situation?
Another activity. Have students look at one of the works of art mentioned above or other prints you have available. Ask them what they see. If they name things that can move or are depicted in motion, let them show the movement(s) with their hands. If they name things that make sounds, let them try to produce these sound(s) with their hands, mouths, voices, or an instrument. Repeat this procedure for all the things they see. Once the children have finished the process of interpreting everything in art as sound, say to them, “Let’s
REFERENCES Achilles, E. (1992). Promoting family music literacy: Lessons from Head Start. General Music Today, 46 (3), 9–15. Erickson, F. (1963). Childhood and society. New York: W.W. Norton. Imai, M. (1995). Sebastian’s trumpet. NY: Candlewick Press.
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Piper, W. (1986). The little engine that could. New York: Platt & Munk. Todd, V. E., & Heffernan, H. (1977). Years before school: Guiding preschool children. (3rd ed.). New York: Macmillan. Wadsworth, B. (1979). Piaget’s theory of cognitive development. (2nd ed.). New York: Longman.
ADDITIONAL READINGS Achilles, E. (1992). Current perspectives on young children’s thinking: Implications for preschool music education. In Readings in Early Childhood, B. Andress (Ed.). Reston, VA: Music Educators National Conference. Anderson, W. M., & Lawrence. J. E. (1998). Integrating music into the elementary classroom (4th ed.). Belmont, CA: Wadsworth Publishing. Andress, B. (1998). Music for young children. Fort Worth: Harcourt Brace College Publications. Blackburn, L. (1998). Whole music: A whole language approach to teaching music. Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann. Bruce, C. (Ed.). (1998). Young children and the arts: Making creative connections. Washington, DC: Arts Education Partnership. Burchoff, R. (1994). Joyful voices: Facilitating language growth through the rhythmic response to chants. Young Children, 49 (4), 26–30. Campbell, P. S. (1998). Songs in their heads: Music and its meaning in children’s lives. New York: Oxford University Press. Campbell, P. S., & Scott-Krassner, C. (1995). Music in
childhood: From preschool through the elementary grades. New York: Schirmer. Crinklaw-Kisler, D. (1996). Integrating music with whole language through the Orff-Schulwerk Process. Young Children, 51(5), 15–21. DjeDje, J.C., & Meadows, E. S. (Eds.). (1998). California
soul: Music of African Americans in the west. Berkeley, CA: University of California Press. Elliott, D. J. (1995). Music matters: A new philosophy of music education. New York: Oxford University Press. Gordon, E. (1997). Learning sequences in music: Skill, content and patterns. Chicago: GIA Publications. Gordon, E. (1998). A music learning theory for newborn and young children. Chicago: GIA Publications. Gordon, E. (1998). Introduction to research and psychology of music. Chicago: GIA Publications. Jalongo, M. R. (1996). Using recorded music with young children: A guide for non-musicians. Young Children, 51(5), 6-14. Jarnow, J. (1991). All ears: How to choose and use recorded music for children. New York: Penguin. Jellison, J., & Wolfe, D. E. (1999). Video songs from Sesame Street: A comparison of 5th graders’ and adults’
opinions regarding messages for preschool children. Journal of Music Education, 47 (1), 64–67. Lazdauskas, H. (1996). Music makes the school go ’round. Young Children, 51 (5), 22–23. Levinowitz, L. M. (1999, July). The importance of music in early childhood. Music Educators Journal, 86 (1), 17–18. Machover, W., & Uszler, M. (1996). Sound choices: Guiding your child’s musical experiences. New York: Oxford University Press. McCarthy, M., & Wilson, B. D. (Eds.). (1998). Music in American schools, 1838-1988. College Park, MD: University of Maryland Performing Arts Library. McCuthchan, A. (2000). The muse that sings: Composers speak about the creative process. New York: Oxford University Press. McDonald, D. T. (1999). Music in our lives: The early years. Washington, DC: NAEYC. MENC (Music Educators National Conference). Music and young children (video). Reston, VA: Author. Rief, L. (1998). Vision & voice. Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann. Rivkin, M. (1994). Children’s books and recordings. Young Children, 49 (3), 88–89. Rivkin, M. (1994). Children’s books and videos. Young Children, 49 (4), 86. Scott-Kassner, C. (1999, July). Developing teachers for early childhood programs. Music Educators Journal, 86 (1), 19–21. Sims, W. L. (Ed.) (1995). Strategies for teaching prekindergarten music. Reston, VA: MENC. Stauffer, S. L., & Davidson, J. (1996). Strategies for teaching K–4 general music. Reston, VA: MENC. Tarnowski, S. M. (1999, July). Musical play and young children. Music Educators Journal, 86 (1), 26–29. Turner, M. E. (1999, July). Child-centered learning and music programs. Music Educators Journal, 86 (1), 30–33. Volk, T. M. (1997). Music, education, and multiculturalism. New York: Oxford University Press.
BOOKS FOR CHILDREN PRESCHOOL Battle-Lavert, G. (2000). The music in Derrick’s heart. New York: Holiday House. Brett, J. (1991). Berlioz the bear. New York: Putnam. Deetlefs, R. (1999). The song of six birds. New York: Penguin. Ellis, R. (1998). The itsy-bitsy spider. New York: Scholastic Press. Halpern, S. (1999). What shall we do when we all go out?: A traditional song. Miami, FL: North-South. Guthrie, W. (2000). Howdi do. New York: Candlewick. Helldorfer, M. C. (2000). Hog music. New York: Penguin.
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Henson, J. (2000). Bears big band. Chicago: Children’s Press. Hillenbrand, W. (1999). Down by the station. New York: Gulliver/Harcourt. Kellogg, S. (Reteller). (1999). A-hunting we will go! New York: Morrow Jr. Books. Kraus, R. (1990). Musical Max. New York: Simon & Schuster. Martin, B., Jr. (1994). The master plays. New York: Henry Holt. Metropolitan Museum of Art. (1999). Lullabies: An illustrated songbook. San Diego: Harcourt-Brace Children’s Books. Moss, L. (2000). Zin! Zin! Zin!: A violin. New York: Simon & Schuster. Nygaard, E. (1999). Snake alley band. New York: Doubleday Dell Books. Petty, K. (1999). The amazing pop-up music book. New York: Dutton. Pinkney, B. (1994). Max found two sticks. New York: Simon & Schuster. Raffi. (1997). Baby beluga. New York: Crown. Rylant, C. (2000). Mr. Putter and Tabby Toot the horn. New York: Harcourt Brace. Seeger, P. (1986). Abiyoyo. New York: Macmillan. Simon, F. (1999). Calling all toddlers. New York: Orchard Books. Spohn, K. (1998). The mermaid’s lullaby. New York: Random House. Stenmark, V. (1999). The singing chick. New York: Holt. Westcott, N. B. (2000). Skip to my lou. Boston: Little Brown. Whatley, B. (Illustrator). (2000). The teddy bear’s picnic. New York: HarperCollins. Yerkes, L. (2000). Sounds of music. Phoenix, AZ: Futech Interactive Products. Zemach, K. (1998). The character in the book. New York: Michael di Capua Books.
Hart, A. & Mantell, P. (1993). Kids make music! Chicago: Williams. Hayes, A. (1995). Meet the orchestra. New York: Harcourt. Hopkinson, D. (1999). A band of angels: A story inspired by the Jubilee Singers. New York: Atheneum. Igus, T. (1999). I see the rhythm. Berkeley, CA: Publishers Group West. Jewell, N. (1999). Sailor song. New York: Clarion. Karlins, M. (1999). Music over Manhattan. New York: Random House. King-Smith, D. (1999). A mouse called Wolf. New York: Knopf. Lyons Group, The. (1997). Run jump skip and sing. Los Angeles: Lyrick Studios. Mallet, D. (1997). Inch by inch: The garden song. New York: HarperCollins. McPhail, D. (1999). Mole music. New York: Holt. Pinkwater, D. M. (1999). Rainy morning, (Vol. 1). New York: Simon & Schuster. Raschka, C. (1997). Charlie Parker played be bop. New York: Orchard. Raschka, C. (1998). Simple gifts. New York: Holt. Radunsky, E., & Radunsky, V. (1999). Expect the unexpected! Yucka drucka droni. New York: Scholastic. Schick, J. (1995). The magic school bus in the haunted museum: A book about sound. New York: Scholastic. Schuch, S. (1999). A symphony of whales. New York: Harcourt. Suen, A. (1998). Window music. New York: Viking. Trapani, I. (1998). Oh where, oh where, has my little dog gone? Watertown, MA: Charlesbridge. Vajda, J. (1999). God of the sparrows. Moline, WI: Morehouse Publishing. Varle, E. (1996). I see a song. New York: Scholastic. Venezia, M. (1994). Peter Tchaikovsky. Chicago: Children’s Press. Williams, V. (1997). Lucky song. New York: Greenwillow.
KINDERGARTEN–GRADE 3
GRADES 4–5
Brown, M. (1998). Arthur rocks with Binky. Boston: Little Brown. Chocolate, D. (1998). The piano man. New York: Walker. Coleman, E. (1998). To be a drum. Morton Grove, IL: Albert Whitman. Cowan, C. (1998). My friend the piano. New York: Lothrop, Lee & Shepard. Drew, H. (1993). My first music book: A life-size guide
Base, G. (1999). The worst band in the universe: A totally cosmic adventure. New York: Abrams. Brighton, C. (1990). Mozart: Scenes from childhood of the great composer. New York: Doubleday. Cavalletti, C. (2000). Chopin and romantic music. New York: Barron’s. Chambers, L. K., Barratt, M., Blackwood, A., Kelly, E., & DeSouza, C. (1999). The Kingfisher young people’s book of music. Helena, MT: Kingfisher. Corbett, S. (1995). Shake, rattle, and strum. Chicago: Children’s Press. Erickson, J. R. (1998). The case of the fiddle-playing fox. New York: Putnam. Fraser, J. D. (2000). Musical discoveries: A story bout music, history and friendship, (Vol. 1). Van Nuys, CA: Alfred Publishing.
to making and playing simple musical instruments. New York: DK Publishing. Gelsanliter, W., & Christian, F. (1998). Dancin’ in the kitchen. New York: Putnam. Gregory, D. (2000). Woof, there it is. (Vol. 5). New York: Disney Press. Grisman, D. (1999). There ain’t no bugs on me. New York: HarperCollins.
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Gilfoyle, M. (1999). Bob Marley. Asheville, NC: Usborne. Hooper, C. (2000). Learn songwriting. Asheville, NC: Usborne. Isadora, R. (1997). Young Mozart. New York: Viking. Krull, K. (1993). Lives of the musicians: Good times, bad times (and what the neighbors thought). New York: Harcourt. Krull, K. (1994). Gonna sing my head off: American folk songs for children. New York: Knopf. Meyrick, K. (1999). The musical life of Gustav Mole with cassette(s). Chicago: Children’s Press. Mitchell, B. (1987). Raggin’: A story about Scott Joplin. Minneapolis: Carolrhoda. Mitchell, B. (1999). America, I hear you: A story about George Gershwin. Minneapolis: Carolrhoda. Monjo, F. M. (1975). Letters to Horseface. New York: Viking. Norworth, J. (1993). Take me out to the ball game. New York: Macmillan. O’Brien, E. (2000). The Usborne first book of piano with CD. Asheville, NC: Usborne. Orozco, J. L. (1994). De colores and other LatinAmerican folk songs. New York: Dutton. Paker, J. (1995). I wonder why flutes have holes and other questions about music. Helena, MT: Kingfisher. Sabin, K. (1992). Ludwig von Beethoven: Young composer. Mahwah, NJ: Troll. Sommer, E. (1991). The kids’ world almanac of music from rock to Bach. Mahwah, NJ: World Almanac. Turner, J. B., & Schiff, R. S. (1995). Let’s make music: An
interactive musical trip around the world. Milwaukee: Hal Leonard Publishing. Weatherford, C. B. (2000). The sound that jazz makes. New York: Walker & Co. Winter, J. (1999). Sebastian: A book about Bach. New York: Browndeer/Harcourt. Wolff, V. E. (2000). The Mozart season. New York: Scholastic
SOFTWARE FOR CHILDREN 5000 sounds. (Age 10–up). (1998). Coral Gables, FL: Expert Software.
Baby Felix creativity center. (Ages 3–6). (1997). Beverly Hills, CA: Fox Interactive.
Concert ware home CD 2.0. (Grades 1–9). (1997). Mountain View, CA: Jump! Music.
Deluxe programmable electronic grand piano. (Ages 3-8). (1999). Auburn Hills, MI: Alaron/My Song Maker.
Finger beatz. (Grades 1–6). (1999). Brunswick, ME: Good Stuff, LLC.
Funny
monsters for tea. (Ages 5–10). (1999). Pleasantville, NY: Sunburst JAM-boree 2.0. (Grades 1–9). (1997). Mountain View, CA: Jump! Music. Magicbaton, Jr. (Ages 3–6). (1997). San Jose, CA: PFU Ltd. Microsoft musical instruments. (Grades 2–6). (1998). Redmond, WA: Microsoft. Midisoft family music center. (Ages 10–up). (1997). Issaquah, WA: Midisoft Corp. Midnight play. (Ages 4–up). (1999). New York: Simon & Schuster Interactive. Music Ace 2. ( Ages 8–up). (1999). Evanston, IL: Harmonic Vision. The little wizard. (Ages 3–8). (1997). Santa Clara, CA: Gizmo Gypsies, Inc.
For additional creative activity resources, visit our Web site at www.EarlyChildEd.delmar.com.
CREATIVE LANGUAGE EXPERIENCES OBJECTIVES After studying this chapter, you should be able to: 1. Discuss speaking and listening skills in young children. 2. Define “emerging literacy” and the various skills it involves. 3. Explain how to choose and use children’s books for teaching young children. 4. List some guidelines to follow when reading to young children. 5. Discuss the importance of poetry for young children’s language development. 6. Discuss the needs of bilingual/bicultural young children. 7. Discuss the anti-bias curriculum.
T
he following scene demonstrates the power of a young child’s language, both verbal and nonverbal. It also demonstrates very clearly the fact that adults often assume they know exactly what young children are saying and respond to them on this basis. Yet, communicating can be a more complicated process than this, as the scene should emphasize. On a warm, sunny, fall afternoon the store was filled with shoppers, many browsing the racks of women’s sale-priced clothes. Among them were a grandmother and her daughter, who pushed a pretty toddler along in a stroller. The child wore a large patch over her right eye. Soon, she filled the air with pleading cries, “Off, off!” Her mother simply responded, “The doctor said you have to wear the patch, honey. We can’t take it off.” When the child continued to cry “Off, off!” in a plaintive voice, the grandmother took a more direct approach, saying, “Now, I’ll have no more of that. You can’t take
the patch off.” The little girl looked at her grandmother, then resumed her cries, “Off off!” But this time, when she received no response from her cries, she tugged on the arm of her coat, saying, “Off, off!” She wanted her coat off, not her eye patch!
DEVELOPMENT OF LANGUAGE Two points can be made from this scene: (1) we can never underestimate the ability of a young child to get her message across and (2) we should never overestimate our understanding of a young child’s message. In this chapter we will explore these points and the many other facets of language development. Language is part of a child’s total development. As with physical growth, there is a definite developmental pattern to a child’s use of language. There are four distinct skills involved in the development
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of language: speaking, listening (in the sense of comprehending or understanding speech), writing, and reading. Each of these, in turn, has its own pattern of development. Ability in one language skill is not always directly related to competence in another. For example, many young children are far better speakers than listeners! In the early childhood program, language experiences must take into consideration the developmental levels of children in each of these four distinct parts of language development. Emphasis in the early childhood program, however, is not on teaching writing and reading. Developing skills that are related to reading and writing help prepare a child for more formal instruction in these skills in later years. While this chapter focuses on the development of language skills in the early years, activities and resources are provided for older children where appropriate. The reader is referred to the reading lists at the end of the chapter for books on teaching reading to older children. Reading and writing skills will be handled as “emerging literacy” skills in this chapter. The term reading readiness is often used to describe these skills as well. However, the author prefers the term emerging literacy because it encompasses a broader range of pre-reading skills development.
DEVELOPMENT OF SPEECH Speech is a form of language in which words or sounds are used to convey meanings. The ability to speak is not necessarily related to the ability to understand. For example, infants make many sounds as they practice vocalizing, which probably do not mean nearly what eager adults like to read into them. Three-year-olds, as another example, can sing along, not missing a single word of popular songs on the radio, without really knowing what the words mean. In the development of speech, there are differences among children in the age at which they begin to learn to speak and the rate with which they achieve competence. The overall developmental sequence with which speech is acquired, however, generally follows the basic sequence represented in Figure 18–1. Similar to the pattern of physical development (see Chapter 9), acquisition of speech develops from general to specific. At first, the child’s speech consists of sounds that are vague and difficult to understand. Yet even in these early stages of life (from birth to 36 months), very young children can communicate quite effectively with a minimum of vocabulary. See Appendix B for a summary of the basic characteristics of these early levels of
speech development and some related activities for language development at each level. Gradually the development of speech progresses to clear and distinct words that carry specific messages, which we call controlled verbal communication. Generally, by the age of three years, children are rapidly building their vocabularies. They continue to increase the number of words for the next few years.
DEVELOPMENT OF RULES OF SPEECH As children learn to speak, they begin to put words together in patterns and gradually learn the grammatical rules of their language. They follow a sequence of language development, from sounds without meaning, to single words, to two-word sentences, to more complex structures. Jenny moves from saying, “Juice,” to saying, “My juice,” to saying, “Give Jenny apple juice.” Children usually use nouns before pronouns, and “I” is often the first pronoun used. Children usually learn the names of objects first and gradually make finer discriminations. They notice likenesses and differences. For Elise, all four-legged animals are dogs. Later she identifies dog, cat, cow, and horse and further refines her classification to little dog and big dog. Concepts of time and space are difficult to comprehend. William cannot tell the difference between tomorrow and next week. He knows only that it is not now. After much practice and experience, children begin to recognize shades of meanings and become more precise and facile with language. Philip talks about his warm blue coat, and Alice knows that hers is bright blue because she has heard her mother describe it that way. Children draw generalizations about how words come together to form sentences. Then they overgeneralize, not realizing that there are exceptions to rules. If “I cooked the egg” is a correct grammatical construction, then “I tooked the ball” seems equally correct to Claire. Instead of saying, “I forgot the picture,” Sam is likely to tell his father that he “forgotted” the picture. When Ella says, “I runned down the hill,” she demonstrates an advanced stage of language development, using a grammar rule she discovered for herself. Children learn rules about past tense as they become familiar with the language. In a similar manner, they learn the rules about plurals. If the plural of house is houses, should not the plural of goose be gooses? A child hears sounds all around him. Adults, other children, radio, and television all provide aural stimulation. As children learn to speak, adults need to accept
CHAPTER 18 Creative Language Experiences
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AB I LIT Y
9 months and up
Begins to intentionally use words to communicate.
1 year
Imitates sounds. Responds to many words that are a part of experience: “Bye-bye,” “Daddy,” “Momma.”
2 years
Should be able to follow simple commands without visual clues: “Johnny, get your hat and give it to Daddy.” “Claire, bring me your ball.” Uses a variety of everyday words heard in home and neighborhood: “Mommy,” “Milk,” “Ball,” “Hat.” Shows developing sentence sense by the way words are put together: “Go bye bye car.” “Milk all gone.”
3 years
Understands and uses words other than for naming; is able to fit simple verbs, pronouns, prepositions, and adjectives such as “go,” “me,” “in,” “big” more and more into sentences.
4 years
Should be able to give a connected account of some recent experience. Should be able to carry out a sequence of two simple directions: “Bobby, find Susie and tell her dinner’s ready.”
5 years
Speech should be intelligible although some sounds may still be mispronounced. Can carry on a conversation if vocabulary is within her range.
Adapted from Learning to Talk, prepared by the U.S. National Institute of Neurological Disease and Stroke, National Institutes of Health, U.S. Department of Health, Education and Welfare. Washington, DC: U.S. Government Printing Office, 1969, pp. 22–24.
FIGURE 18–1
Child’s development of language ability.
the language they produce. Whatever the nature of the sounds they make, they should be encouraged to talk and not be restrained by criticism or corrections. If the adults around them speak well, children usually begin to use words correctly, too. A child who has many verbal interactions with adults is likely to develop greater verbal proficiency and confidence in the use of words than one who has not had such experiences.
LITERACY All the information discussed to this point falls under the general term “literacy.” Literacy in its most general sense is a mastery of language—speaking, listening, writing, and reading. Literacy learning, as discussed above, begins in infancy and continues through life. In helping children develop literacy, we must respect the language the child brings to school and use it as a base for language and literacy activities. To develop literacy we build on what the child already knows about oral language, reading, and writing. A child’s literacy grows when we encourage children to see themselves as people who can enjoy exploring oral and written language.
ENHANCING LANGUAGE DEVELOPMENT A true mastery of language requires social interaction. A classroom in which children are given many opportunities to interact with others is one in which language development is fostered. A teacher can create an environment which fosters language development of young children by creating a child-centered classroom where young children are given many opportunities to pursue their own interests and trusted to know what it is they want and need to learn.
Language experiences during self-initiated play. When children move freely to activities of their choice in self-initiated play in a child-centered environment, more language is used with greater richness of speech than when children are in classrooms where formal instruction dominates the program. When children discover they can satisfy needs by speaking, they gain confidence in their abilities to speak and begin to value language. Interaction is an important part of communication. Children speak and listen as they play with clay, dough,
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paint, pegs, blocks, sand, and water. If they feel comfortable when they talk, they are more likely to experiment with language. In a housekeeping area, children talk to each other as they re-enact familiar roles. Formal or informal midday snack arrangements provide natural settings for conversations. Such activities as playing with blocks, pounding and rolling clay, experimenting with magnets, all offer children rich opportunities to speak, listen, and exchange ideas with others.
Language experiences in small-group activities. In small groups children are more likely to talk to each other and to the teacher and have less anxiety than when they are expected to respond in large groups. Sharing time in an early childhood program is best when it involves a small group of three to five children. In a large group, it is necessary to limit each child’s conversation so that several children have an opportunity to speak, and this limitation tends to discourage children from talking. A group of three to five is a more natural situation for young children. Formal discussion periods are neither as interesting nor as meaningful as informal conversations in a small group. A child who takes a treasured item out of his pocket to share with two or three friends is probably enjoying a very personal experience. But when “Show and Tell” time is made into a daily ritual in which many children are expected to participate, the personal excitement may disappear for the speaker. The telling supersedes the sharing, and the personal reactions of peers are not part of the experience. When incorporated into a program at an appropriate time, “Show and Tell” can be valued by all as a sharing experience. When it is structured as a language lesson, its values are likely to be lost.
UNDERSTANDING BILINGUAL/BICULTURAL YOUNG CHILDREN’S LANGUAGE DEVELOPMENT Our schools are blessed with an ever growing multicultural population. This rich cultural mix is an exciting opportunity for children and teachers to learn about other cultures on a daily basis. Unfortunately, many young children from diverse developing nations such as Haiti, Vietnam, Cambodia, Guatemala, Honduras, and Laos are entering schools not fully prepared to receive them. The importance of including the needs of bilin-
gual/bicultural children in the early childhood language program is obvious in our multicultural world. The early childhood teacher plays a critical role in the lives of linguistically and culturally diverse young children. The early childhood setting becomes a homeaway-from-home, the first contact with nonfamily members, the first contact with culturally different people, and the first experience with non-native speakers. A teacher’s attitude and knowledge base is crucial in making the early childhood program accepting and appreciative of diversity (Ramsey, 1987). The possibilities are endless for teachers of young children who, as role models, are in a unique position to establish the tone or “classroom climate” through decision making, collaboration, interactions, and activities. Teachers of young children are currently implementing a variety of educationally sound strategies for this special population. In addition, we know to ■ Accept individual differences with regard to language-learning time frames. It’s a myth to think that young children can learn a language quickly and easily. Avoid pressures to “rush” and “push out” children to join the mainstream classroom. Young children need time to acquire, explore, and experience second-language learning. ■ Accept children’s attempts to communicate, because trial and error are a part of the second-language learning process. Negotiating meaning and collaborating in conversations are important. Children should be given opportunities to practice both native and newly established language skills. Adults should not dominate the conversations; rather, children should be listened to. Plan and incorporate opportunities for conversation within dramatic play, storytime, puppetry, peer interactions, social experiences, field trips, cooking, and other enriching activities. ■ Maintain an additive philosophy by recognizing that children need to acquire new language skills instead of replacing existing linguistic skills. Afford young children an opportunity to retain their native language and culture. Allow young learners ample social opportunities to practice emerging linguistic skills. ■ Provide a stimulating, active, diverse linguistic environment with many opportunities for language use in meaningful social interactions. Avoid rigid or didactic grammatical approaches with young children. Children enjoy informal play experiences, dramatizations, puppetry, telephone conversations, participation in children’s literature, and social interactions with peers.
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suggestions on anti-bias curriculum planning, working with parents, suggested books and materials—all essential in preparing an inclusive environment for young children of all cultural groups. . The language arts curriculum is an excellent starting point for the anti-bias curriculum, since there are hundreds of quality books for children representing a multitude of ethnic groups. Teachers of young children need to select literature that reflects the perspectives, experiences, and values of all ethnic and cultural groups. See Chapters 24–28 for more information on the ABC curriculum.
FIGURE 18–2
Playing with blocks offers young children opportunities to speak, listen, and exchange ideas with others.
■ Incorporate culturally responsive experiences for all children. Valuing each child’s home culture and incorporating meaningful, active participation will help children develop interpersonal skills and contribute to eventual academic and social success. ■ Use informal observations to guide the planning of activities, interactions, and other conversations for speakers of other languages. ■ Provide an accepting classroom climate that values culturally and linguistically diverse young children. Young children are part of today’s natural resources, capable of contributing to tomorrow’s multicultural/multilingual society (DeSoto, 1991). THE ANTI-BIAS CURRICULUM (ABC) Creative teachers promote an inclusive environment, one which addresses both the daily life realities of cultural diversity as well as the potentially biased attitudes and behaviors that are part of this reality. The early childhood teacher creating an inclusive environment plans the curriculum to address the cultural differences represented by the children in the group and in the society in general. This inclusive curriculum reflects a sensitivity to all cultural groups in all areas of the curriculum. Related inherently to the inclusive environment is the concept of an anti-bias curriculum (ABC). The anti-bias curriculum (ABC) developed by the NAEYC’s ABC Task Force and Louise DermanSparks (Derman-Sparks ABC Task Force, 1989), is an excellent starting point for planning an inclusive, antibias curriculum. This booklet, as well as other references at the end of this chapter, contain many excellent
DEVELOPMENT OF LISTENING Just exactly how a child learns to listen and understand language has been studied by many researchers and language experts. Some argue that language and thought grow somewhat independently, at least in the early stages of language development. This view does make sense when you consider the fact that young children are often able to learn words and phrases that have no meaning for them. (Remember how threeyear-olds can sing popular songs yet do not understand the words.) Listening is not a passive receiving of information. Good listening involves receiving and processing incoming information. Listening is more than simply hearing because good listeners filter out much of what they hear in order to concentrate on a message. Children are not the only ones who should listen and teachers are not the only speakers. Rather, children and teachers need to be good listeners, and children should listen to one another as carefully as they do to adults. Good listeners are active. They get involved with what they hear, both intellectually and emotionally. Such listeners give complete attention to what they hear, actively process the information, make pertinent comments, and ask relevant questions (Brent & Anderson, 1993). Young children may act as if they understand concepts at a level that they cannot yet express in words. Because young children think in simple, basic ways, they have difficulty comprehending adult language that is abstract or too complex. Abstraction is beyond the thinking capabilities of the young child in preschool and early elementary years. The teacher or child care worker who is not aware of these language limitations of young children can easily lose their attention. For example, a visiting firefighter who described the fire-
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family stop to play with her. She is responding to what she reads into the actions of others. These experiences precede understanding the printed word. Not all children should be expected to learn to read in the same way, at the same rate, or at the same age. Children begin by reading pictures, taking great delight in recognizing objects with which they are familiar. As adults read to children, thereby exposing them to words in the books they read, children begin to understand that printed words say something. EMERGENT READING
FIGURE 18–3
Listening is an active processing of incoming information.
hose as “a supplementary antiincendiary device” obviously was unaware of the language level of the audience and more accustomed to addressing adults! In the same manner, a teacher who directs a child pulling another’s hair to “be nice” is too general and abstract in her directions. A more appropriate, direct, and less abstract request for a young child would be, “Don’t pull Jane’s hair.” Physical conditions affecting the listener (deafness, hunger, fatigue, illness, and physical environment) can impair the listening process or influence the quality of listening. The environmental climate or atmosphere in the early childhood program should motivate listening. The atmosphere needs to be one in which children are free to express their ideas; they should feel that their contributions will be accepted and respected.
EMERGING LITERACY If reading is defined as the interpretation of symbols, it could be said that a child begins reading the day she is born. A baby gets excited when she sees her bottle. She stops crying when mother enters the room and smiles at her. She gurgles with pleasure when members of the
Pretend reading of favorite books is an activity familiar to many parents and teachers of young children. During pretend reading—also called emergent reading (Sulzby, 1985) or reenactment (Holdaway, 1979)—children practice readinglike behaviors that build their confidence in themselves as readers. Adults interested in emergent or pretend reading have long assumed that children imitate adult reading, that is, they pick up readinglike behaviors and story language after adults read aloud to them. We can see the beginnings of independent emergent reading when children participate in adult read-alouds by “reading along” with an adult reader—mumbling, echoing phrases, and completing sentences and phrases when the adult reader pauses. During emergent reading children combine several information sources: the pictures and print in the book; input from adult listeners, as well as their own memory for having heard and discussed the book previously; their personal experiences; and their background knowledge about the world, language, and how stories sound. In emergent literacy programs, children enjoy and participate actively in reading experiences long before they are readers in the conventional sense of the word. Both participation in read-aloud sessions and emergent reading give children opportunities to learn about the language and the meaning of reading in a natural setting. By giving children opportunities to interact with books, through read-alouds and emergent readings, teachers help children grow as competent and confident readers (Elster, 1994). The box, Think About It: Read-Alouds and Emergent Reading in the Classroom, presents more specific suggestions for emergent reading activities in the early childhood classroom. Conventional reading involves total development— emotional, social, physical, and intellectual readiness. A child who has not yet acquired large muscle control will not be able to develop more refined skills, such as matching shapes and recognizing patterns needed for reading. Some children are not interested or physically
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Read-Alouds and Emergent Reading in the Early Childhood Classroom Children who participate in read-aloud sessions and do their own emergent readings of favorite books grow as readers because they are engaged in authentic, natural literacy, not in instruction-focused tasks that break up reading into separate “skills.” Practice in the natural activity of emergent reading is a good preparation for later, conventional reading. By becoming aware of the benefits of linking emergent reading to read-aloud sessions and by arranging classroom space and time to promote these activities, teachers can maximize the benefits of reading aloud and emergent reading in early childhood classrooms in the following ways. 1. Invite children to participate actively in read-aloud sessions. Ask questions that require children to predict what will happen next and to link the story to their own experiences. As books become more familiar to the children, pause before familiar or repeated patterns and allow children to complete the reading. Give children opportunities to choose their favorite books to be read to the group. 2. Provide frequent opportunities for young children to engage in book handling and emergent reading. Although for many years many classrooms have featured daily book browsing time, there are still too many classrooms in which children look at books only as a transitional or optional activity with books available to children who have finished other “required” activities or who choose to look at books during “free-choice” times. As a result, children who have had less experience with books or who work slowly have little occasion for self-directed interaction with books. Teachers should instead establish daily “Serious Reading Time” when all children are expected to be involved with books in whatever manner is most comfortable for them—browsing through books, looking at pictures, emergently or conventionally reading. 3. Read favorite books repeatedly to encourage emergent reading. Follow through by making these books available for children to look at on their own or with other children and adults. Children are more likely to choose books and engage in emergent reading with books that are familiar to them. Set up the classroom so that familiar books are available and visible to children during independent time and free time. (More specific information on the book center is found later in this chapter.) Arrange for reading aloud to be done in or near the classroom book center so that children see the connection between hearing books read and reading them on their own and that books read by the teacher can be easily put in the library. Schedule time for children to independently read or look at books soon after the teacher has read to them, again highlighting the connection between the adult read-aloud and children’s independent involvement with books. 4. During read-aloud and independent-involvement times, teachers have opportunities to observe children’s emerging literacy in real-life situations. Become more aware of how children respond during read-aloud sessions (a tape recorder might be useful). Which of the children asked and answered questions? Which ones participated in reading by “chiming in” on familiar parts or by making predictions? How do children’s questions and comments change over several readings of the same book? What kinds of questions and comments came from you, the teacher? By listening to children’s emergent readings (live or taped), teachers can see how much book content and book language children incorporate. Do children use the distinctive language of books? Do they use literary formulae such as “once upon a time”? What sources of information do children use when they “read”? Do they use the pictures, the print, memory of the text and discussion, and their personal experiences? 5. Educate parents about the ability of their child to “pretend read” books and to participate in reading through “completion reading.” Some parents worry that “pretend reading” will result in bad habits that will prevent children from learning to “really read.” Reassure all of these parents that their children’s readinglike behaviors, even though they may not involve attention to print, are a source of future reading success. Parents also need to understand that allowing children to participate in readaloud sessions through joint reading and discussion can enrich the literacy experience for parents and children (Adapted from Elster, 1994).
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FIGURE 18–4
High-quality children’s books are an integral part of the language arts curriculum.
ready to read until they are six, seven, or even eight years of age. When children are forced to engage in reading activities before they are physically, intellectually, or emotionally ready, reading can become a burden. Vision, hearing, diet, and physical coordination are all factors to be considered. Eye–muscle development is necessary and cannot be rushed. Speaking skills are needed for success in reading. And motivation is a primary factor for success.
PRE-WRITING SKILLS Another skill that is part of a child’s emerging literacy is writing. In the preschool and early childhood period, a child is developing the physical skills needed to write later on in school. It is not the goal to have young children “practice” letters and words in the early childhood language arts program. Instead, the goal is to provide young children with opportunities to practice the hand–eye coordination and small muscle skills needed to be able to write. For preschoolers, writing is a part of the total language experience, preceded by many fine motor control activities. Writing begins when children first become interested in making their own marks, and it continues to be a part of their everyday experiences. When children show an interest in writing, large pieces of paper are made available along with crayons, felt-tip pens, and pencils. For preschoolers, reading and writing are closely related. Writing can be part of the language experience of children when children dictate stories for the teacher to write down.
FIGURE 18–5
Learning names of animals in favorite stories is a basic language arts activity for young children.
Use children’s artwork in conjunction with reading and writing. Besides making the obvious use of illustrations for stories, early readers can give titles to their work. Asking children if they would like to give their work a title reflects the teacher’s valuing their work. Some children may want to give their work a title, others may not. Young children can also use photographs to tell stories that the teacher writes down. Preschool children might bring their baby pictures to school and then themselves be photographed by the teacher. Mount both pictures side by side, and then children can dictate descriptions of what they could do as babies and what they can do now that they are “big.” Children can share the displayed individual books. A language experience approach such as this encourages literacy. Using cartoon boards and cartoon balloons enhances writing and reading motivation. Children can dictate or write captions in the balloons, stating what different characters in the strips are saying.
POETRY EXPERIENCES Poetry is part of the magic that motivates children to love reading. The educational benefits of including poetry in the early childhood program are many. Exposure to poetry raises children’s level of general language development and vocabulary development and whets their appetite for reading, too! Some other benefits of including poetry on a regular basis in the early childhood program include: ■ Poetry’s often playful approach to language helps children think about language forms as well as
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meaning. The predictable rhythms of Mother Goose rhymes naturally segment speech sounds and expose and highlight phonetic similarities and differences in a way that normal speech does not. Children take pride in learning to recite short poems. Thus, poetry can be used to stimulate the development of memory, which will aid in future learning. Knowing poems enhances feelings of competence, which is important for young children. Young children who continually hear poetry read effectively and those who have the opportunity to join informally in reciting it will soon have quite a repertoire of memorized poetry without any effort. It is quite appropriate to expect three- and fouryear-old children to happily chant finger plays, Mother Goose rhymes, and short poems such as those found at the end of this unit. Fingerplays, or poems recited and accompanied by appropriate body movements, help develop coordination and muscle tone. Asking children to invent their own movements helps them develop problem-solving abilities. Some of these poems also help in learning to name body parts (“Hokey Pokey,” for example). Acting out poetry can be a fun and beneficial drama and speech activity for children of all ages. By allowing children to organize and act out poems using props and costumes, the teacher encourages the development of creativity and positive self-concept as well as of language. Children can be encouraged to illustrate favorite poems to display in the classroom or to take home, thus stimulating artistic expression and development while aiding language development. Using
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colored chalks, paint, markers, and crayons, many young artists will illustrate the mood of the poem more movingly than we ever could have imagined! ■ Smooth, natural transitions from one activity can be made through the use of carefully selected poems. The following poem, for example, is a perfect choice when the teacher wishes to move from an energetic activity to a quiet one like storytime or a group discussion. Touch your ears. Touch your eyes. Touch your nose. Now bend down and touch your toes. Wiggle your fingers. Turn around. Now bend down and touch the ground. Clap your hands—1, 2, 3. Now see how quiet you can be. (Janice Hayes Andrews)
SELECTING APPROPRIATE POEMS Using poetry in the classroom will, of course, be much more valuable and enjoyable if the poem selection is made carefully with the children’s interests and needs in mind. Not all children have the same needs. And by no means are all children at the same developmental level. Choose poetry that meets all developmental levels in the group. Another important criterion for selecting poetry to present in any classroom is that the teacher should like it, too. It is not possible for a teacher to read a poem well or generate much enthusiasm for it if she does not enjoy it herself. ■ When selecting poems, think about what the children are likely to find appealing. From approximately three to six years old, young children like things that seem relevant to them. In order for something to be relevant to children, it must somehow relate to the world as they know it, if not directly to them. By selecting poetry about familiar objects, events, and feelings, the teacher takes a major step toward making poetry interesting and enjoyable for young children. Older children enjoy poetry that challenges their imagination and thinking skills.
FIGURE 18–6
Acting out the story with a puppet is a fun way for young children to experience a children’s book.
■ Focus on popular topics. There are certain subjects that almost all young children enjoy. For this reason, these subjects are traditionally dealt with in most early childhood programs—self-awareness,
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Mother Goose Is Back in Style
Mother Goose, it seems, really does matter. Buried in the nonsensical couplets chanted by generations of children is the link to understanding syllable and phonemes, the building blocks to literacy. A slew of studies since the mid-1980s has shown that rhymes directly contribute to a child’s vocabulary and understanding of language. To recognize that two words rhyme is to know something about the sounds that make up words. Learning to recognize the word “clean,” for example, helps children learn new words like “lean” and “mean.” The better children are at detecting rhymes, the quicker and more successful is their reading progress— a relationship that holds true in dozens of studies despite children’s IQs or social backgrounds. Research on children with reading difficulties has found that many struggling readers are strikingly insensitive to rhyme. “When children rhyme, it really draws attention to the fact that words have parts,” said Sally Shaywitz, a professor of pediatrics and a brain researcher at Yale University. “When most of us hear a word, we don’t pay attention to the fact that even a simple word like cat has three sounds: kkkk/aaaa/tttt. “When you rhyme the last part of a word, you are realizing a distinct part of the word and what the sound is. In order to read, you also have to appreciate that words are made up of different sounds. It’s really the same ability. It’s learning to break the code” (Farrell, 1999). This deeper understanding of the power of rhymes has prompted a revival among reading experts for Mother Goose, that collection of English childhood rhymes, jingles, songs, and riddles that originated centuries ago. It’s why rhymes are dubbed “essential” for young children, ages 3 and 4, in a joint statement for parents issued in 1999 by the National Association for the Education of Young Children and the International Reading Association. What you have to do with Mother Goose is to lift the words off the pages of the book. Just reading a rhyme in a book with a child is not nearly as much fun as when you know the rhymes and use them as part of your daily life. You’re diapering a child or riding in the car with your preschooler and doing “one, two, buckle my shoe.” Then it’s fun, it’s alive. If you love it, your child will like it. If you read in a dull, boring way, your child won’t relate to it. It’s all in the presentation (Farrell). But how much Mother Goose does anybody truly remember? A recent study by a Pennsylvania researcher suggests that nursery rhymes are part of a dying tradition, with few—if any—passed on to young children. Beth Goldstone, an assistant professor of education at Beaver College in Glenside, PA, surveyed 150 preschoolers in a Philadelphia suburb and found that more than a third did not know Jack Be Nimble, Hey Diddle Diddle or Little Miss Muffet, among others. Kindergarten teachers often expect children to have that kind of background and too often the children don’t. Mother Goose is one of the foundations of our language. She also plays a role in creating a community of knowledge. It’s essential for children to hear those rhymes. So Mother Goose is definitely back in style for young children!
the senses, the family, feelings, transportation, seasons, holidays, animals, plants, water, earth, sky. By selecting poems that deal with these subjects as they are being emphasized in class, you can capitalize on the interest generated by other classroom activities: science, social studies, music, and so on.
Many children’s poetry books classify poems according to these categories, making it easy to find appropriate poems. There are several good collections of children’s poetry listed in the reference at the end of this chapter for preschool, kindergarten, grade 3, and grade 4–5.
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CHILDREN’S BOOKS Children’s books are a traditional part of the language arts program in most early childhood programs. These books must be chosen with care for young children’s use. They must be right for the developmental level of the child. The pictures should be easily seen; the story easily understood by young listeners. “ABC” or alphabet books for young children also must be chosen carefully. Very young children need simple, uncluttered alphabet books. Words should represent familiar, concrete objects, with “a” beginning “apple” rather than “atom.” First alphabet books typically pair initial sounds with words, and these associations should depict regular sounds. Pages that proclaim “K is for knife” or “G is for gnu” bewilder rather than educate. These key words should also have unambiguous names: “B is for bowwow,” in a book filled with objects rather than sounds, will confuse the child who identified the animal as a dog. In addition, illustrations must be obvious and straightforward. Complications in naming lead to misunderstandings. One preschooler, upset because she had read an alphabet book incorrectly, sadly pointed out this problem: “I said ‘R for rope’ but the book meant ‘S for snake.’” Children interacting with their first texts are not reading in the traditional sense of relying solely on the printed word. Instead, as emergent readers, they depend on illustrations to create meaning. Consequently, in initial alphabet books, only one or two objects should appear on the page, acknowledging the young child’s perceptual and spatial skills. There’s plenty of time later on to hunt for hidden pictures, sort out numerous nouns, or locate obscure objects after letter-sound correspondence has been mastered. See the “Think about it” box on page 300 for guidelines on what to look for in choosing books for children. THE BOOK CENTER Create a place where children can explore the world of books. A library or book center is an important part of every early childhood classroom as well as elementary classrooms. As you use books during circle time, children will realize the “magic” of books, that they have good make-believe stories or are full of facts and have pretty pictures. Children will then want to explore those books on their own, so they need to have a wellorganized place where they can go and read. Think about the physical space first and be sure you find a place that is away from the more “active” goings-
FIGURE 18–7
Children learn their alphabet in many different ways.
on in the room, a place where the child can quietly explore books. Gather together a table, some chairs or soft cushions, and shelves for books, tapes, and magazines. When covering some units, you might want to create an unusual seating place, such as making an airplane out of a large box as you talk and read about types of transportation. Take time to decorate the nearby bulletin boards or tops of shelves with book jackets, pictures, flowers, and special collections related to the books you have in the book center. Place certain kinds of books on the shelves so that they are readily available at all times—Mother Goose books; poetry books; a children’s simple encyclopedia (there are some two- and three-volume sets); “sense” books where children can touch, scratch, and smell as they look; some of the classic stories with which children are already familiar, such as Goldilocks and the Three Bears, The Little Engine That Could, The Three Little Pigs, and The Cat in the Hat. Books reflecting ethnic diversity should always be available for children’s use. Books portraying ethnic diversity of children in the group as well as those not represented in the group need to be on the shelves. As concepts—the alphabet, numbers, animals, families, and transportation—are introduced, provide a special bookshelf or display area where children can find books on those subjects and expand their knowledge about each concept.
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What to Look for in Children’s Books
Children today live in an exciting media-driven time of television, video games and computers. Yet, no medium can stir a child’s imagination like the pages of a good book. There is an enormous selection of children’s books available today. The following are some general guidelines on what to look for in choosing children’s books from preschool through grade 5.
BABY BOOKS There are four basic kinds of baby books. 1. board books which are made with sturdy cardboard pages that can be wiped clean 2. touch and feel books which have cloth, feathers, fur, and familiar “feely” things attached to them for little ones to discover 3. cloth books which are made of safe, washable material 4. bath books which are constructed of soft, durable plastic and can take a lot of abuse What to look for. ■ simple text and art ■ repetition and bouncy rhymes ■ bright and familiar photos or artwork. There should be a connection between baby’s surroundings and the book’s pictures. ■ a sturdy book that can handle many spills ■ rounded corners for safety ■ a book the right size and shape for little hands ■ A book you will enjoy as well. Baby will recognize your enjoyment.
PRESCHOOL Preschool books are on a higher level than baby books, but on a slightly lower level than picture books. In addition to hardcover and paperback, preschool books come in a variety of novelty formats. Among them are ■ lift-the-flap books which have sturdy pages and flaps to lift that reveal hidden words or pictures ■ pop-up books which have paper-engineered pages that make pictures three dimensional ■ pull-tab books which have tabs to pull to change the pictures Some books combine all of these features. These kinds of books are designed to be played with as much as to be read—yet another way to show that books are fun. What to look for in preschool books. ■ a book that clearly covers the concept you are trying to teach ■ a book that helps develop the child’s sense of humor ■ an easy and fun story line ■ clear and easy-to-read books ■ colorful, high quality illustrations ■ illustrations that a child can connect with her own life and situation
PICTURE BOOKS Picture books are one of the most popular forms of children’s books, and are appropriate for a wide range of ages and reading levels. Picture books have varying amounts of art and text (some are even wordless!).
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THINK ABOUT IT . . .(Continued) Some story lines are simple, while others are quite complex. Subjects can be beautiful, funny, moving, scary, or just plain silly. What is important is that you find a picture book the children in your life will relate to and enjoy. What to look for. ■ art or photography the child responds to ■ story lines that elicit questions and discussions ■ stories that develop the child’s sense of humor ■ stories that help with children’s issues—such as sibling rivalry, or going to school ■ stories you enjoyed as a child and would like to share with children ■ titles recommended by reviewers and award committees
EARLY READERS These books are designed to supplement a child’s reading program at school. As with picture books, early readers cover a wide variety of subjects. They are illustrated, though the emphasis is more on text than on illustrations. Early readers are targeted toward specific reading levels, or by grade. As every child is different, you may wish to judge on your own which reading level is appropriate. What to look for. ■ a reading level that will challenge but will not intimidate the child ■ clear text (the print size varies with reading levels) ■ a topic that will stimulate further interest in reading ■ favorite artists the child has enjoyed at an earlier level of reading ■ nonfiction subjects the child enjoys, such as sports, history, fantasy or adventure ■ new subjects to introduce the child to, such as fantasy and folklore
FICTION When we enter the world of fiction, we leave behind colorful pictures and favorite characters, and subject matter becomes more complicated. The early readers are the stepping stones to these more advanced works. What to look for. ■ books with a reading level that will challenge and stimulate ■ books with a subject that interests the young reader. Many children want to pick out their own books at this age. ■ some of the more popular and enduring titles are available in different editions. The trim size of the books may vary, and the cover art may vary as well, but almost without exception the text remains the same. ■ some classic tales in abridged formats
You can begin to introduce the organization of a real library by color-coding the different types of books with a colored dot fastened to the bottom edge of each book. Then, use paper strips on the shelves so that children can replace the books where they belong just by matching the strip on the shelf with the mark on the book. Help children determine what rules should be followed as they read in the book center; these should relate to behavior, care of books, and removal of books from the areas.
Encourage frequent use of the book center. This means that you need to change the displays and what books are available so that children will want to explore continually to see what is new. It’s hard to be interested in a shabby collection of books casually tossed on a table in the corner of the room! Involve the children in decorating the book center. They can help you change the display or make pictures for use on the library corner bulletin board. Then the book center will be a place where they feel they belong.
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Just as important as what you read is how you read it to young children. The following section gives some guidelines for reading to young children in the best possible way.
READING TO CHILDREN Reading to young children has a few very general requirements. For instance, it is best to work with children’s short attention spans by choosing books that are not too long. Young children’s visual discrimination also requires books that have pictures large enough for them to see. (Remember, the small muscles of the eyes are the last to develop to maturity.) A book with a story that is simple, yet interesting in its wording, is also good for young children. Children in the middle to upper elementary levels still enjoy illustrated books, but the story is becoming equally as important to them. These children begin to enjoy fiction in which the subject matter becomes more complex. The variety of subjects available for use with older children reflects their expanding interests and personalities. Types of books of special interest to this age group are science fiction, fantasy, mystery, and tragedy as well as books on relationships, humorous tales, horror stories, and sports. Consider, the following
suggestions to help you read stories to young children more effectively.
Guidelines for story groups. 1. Select a suitable spot—one that is quiet, away from distracting noises and activities. In the quiet corner, have books displayed at children’s eye level. Have books already read out for children to look at and “reread” themselves. 2. There is no law saying that reading aloud is always a large group activity. In fact, it is often very difficult to read to a large group of young children due to the fact that interest and attention span differences multiply as the group increases in size. Ideally, a small group of six to eight children is a more manageable and comfortable size for reading effectively to young children. 3. See that everyone is seated comfortably. Avoid crowding. Be sure that you as storyteller can see all the children’s faces and that they can see yours. Rugs on the floor in a semicircle facing the teacher make a good seating arrangement. Sitting in chairs is uncomfortable for young children and causes a distraction if a child falls out of one. 4. If using a book, be sure to hold it so that all can see it. Do not hold the book in your lap. The best plan is to hold it out to one side up beside your cheek. This means that you must be able to read the story out of the side of your eye without turning the book toward you. 5. Be sure you like the story you read, otherwise you will put little enthusiasm into the telling of it. 6. Know your story well! If you do not, you will focus too much of your attention on the book. You must be free to notice the reactions of the children. Also, knowing the story well means that you will be able to tell it with appropriate enthusiasm, expression, and emphasis. Sounds are better made than read. For example, crow for “cock-a-doodle-do” and bark for “bow-wow” instead of just reading the words. 7. Read the story unhurriedly with an interesting, well-modulated voice. Read naturally—do not “talk down” to the children or have a special “storytelling” voice. 8. Do not comment so much throughout the story as you read it or point out so many things in the pictures that you break the thread of the story and spoil its effect.
FIGURE 18–8
Older children enjoy language arts projects about their collections or hobbies.
9. Encourage comments and questions, but not to such a degree that it interrupts the flow of the story.
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Practice reading a book to a group of children. Then go back to these guidelines to check to see if you used them effectively with children. It takes a good deal of practice to achieve mastery of the skill of story reading. If you make the experience a fun learning experience for yourself with the children, you are halfway there! Reading to toddlers is an activity they truly enjoy. Here are a few guidelines for reading to this age group: ■ While you read to toddlers, follow the lines with your fingers. This helps toddlers who are learning that pages are read from top to bottom and from left to right and that pictures and printed words are related to each other. ■ Give toddlers a choice of books. Books at this age are good for memory development. As toddlers remember story lines, they begin to choose what they want to hear over and over again. Listening to preferred choices again and again increases a toddler’s sense of self and security. Give toddlers several choices of books and you’ll learn just which ones they love. ■ Choose interactive books. Some toddlers may have difficulty sitting still. Try to find books that encourage their participation by pushing moveable parts, uncovering a hidden character, making a figure pop up, or patting the bunny. ■ Use books that toddlers can carry. Toddlers like to possess books. Look for ones with handles or large plastic rings that toddlers can clutch and carry around as precious possessions. ■ Show your pleasure. As you settle down to read, let children know you enjoy books and reading together. After all, toddlers are great copycats. If you are involved in a simple story, toddlers will get swept into the tale. As you encourage them to help turn pages, toddlers become truly involved with books for pleasure, for learning, and for life.
STORYTELLING In today’s modern world, storytelling has become a lost art. Yet, the ancient art of storytelling is a vital way to inspire children’s imaginations as well as language and listening skills. Storytelling is not reading from a book to children. It is the telling of a story to children with or without props such as puppets or a flannel board. In storytelling, the teacher weaves the story using his or her voice and expressions to compel the child’s attention and interest. Storytelling isn’t limited to just one kind of story. When you develop your storytelling curriculum, be sure to include a good variety of these story types:
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■ Fables—Short tales that have a moral and communicate a truth about life. The main characters in fables are often animals that act and think like humans. ■ Fairy tales—Stories that often feature fairies, elves, genies, pixies, leprechauns, and other make-believe characters. ■ Legends—Stories that revolve around incidents that are believed to have taken place in a particular culture’s history. ■ Folk tales—Stories that come to us from many parts of the world. These stories reflect a particular country or people’s flavor and preserve cultural traditions. ■ Poetry—Rhyming poetry, in particular Mother Goose rhymes, is a source of excellent storytelling for young children.
Tips for storytelling. Discover the right story to tell. ■ Look for stories that are age appropriate. ■ Find stories that you love. ■ Check picture books written for different age levels. ■ Collect stories from family, friends, and community. ■ Create your own stories. Learn the story. ■ Read it several times. ■ Break it into a beginning, middle, and end. Speak naturally. ■ Use your normal speaking voice. ■ Use sound effects, such as unusual voice and story sounds, sparingly. Use simple, natural gestures. ■ Add gestures when they add to the story, but don’t overuse them. Polish the story. ■ Tell it, retell it, and retell it. Once you have a story ready to tell to your satisfaction, the next step is to share it with the children: ■ Make eye contact with your listeners. ■ Introduce the story. ■ Tell the story looking directly into your listeners’ eyes. ■ Encourage your listeners to interact with you. ■ Enjoy and work with your audience’s enthusiasm.
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A puppet is a natural prop to use when storytelling. Even a shy child will relate to a puppet. Puppets are also multisensory vehicles for storytelling. They create an art and language experience that children can understand. When you find a special puppet, give it a personality and a home, and you’ll be amazed how children interact with it. Use it in your story and throughout your curriculum. A flannel board or story board is another excellent addition to your storytelling. A story board can be used with any story. It can be held up or set up on an easel. By incorporating a storyboard in the telling of a story, children are encouraged to interact during your storytelling. Using a story board involves cooperation and interaction. Children can re-create the story as it unfolds by placing the characters on the story board in the order of their appearance. They can move them around, simulating the movements in the story. Putting the story up in sequence in this way builds a solid foundation on which to build future reading and writing skills. A story board can be made by covering a piece of plywood or masonite cut to the desired side. Cover it with a piece of flannel as a backing with a piece of Velcro® fabric on top. The children can use this story board to retell old and new favorite tales. Use Velcro® fastening tape to affix storytelling characters to the story board. When using Velcro®, the soft side, or “loop” side of a piece of Velcro® must meet the rougher side, or the “hook” side, of another piece of Velcro®. Be sure when making puppets or props to use with a Velcro® story board that the Velcro® on the puppet will adhere to the Velcro® on the story board. Self-adhesive hook Velcro® can be cut into small pieces that you store until needed in a plastic bag. Self-adhesive Velcro® can be placed on art foam, poster board, laminated materials, plastic, wood, felt, and fabric. It can also be applied to feltboard characters you already have so that you can reuse them with the Velcro® boards. If Velcro® pieces do not stick well, add a drop of quick-bonding glue and press in place. When taking down props that have been attached to a surface with Velcro®, place your thumb at the top of the item and gently pull down. (See end of chapter activities for information on flannel boards.)
SUMMARY Language is a part of the child’s total development. Similar to physical growth, there is a definite pattern of development related to a child’s growth of language, involving four distinct skills: speaking, listening, writing, and reading. Each of these four skills can develop
at different rates in each individual child. This is why one child can be better at speaking than a peer who listens better than she speaks. A teacher of young children needs to understand each child’s developmental level for each of these language skills in planning appropriate language arts experiences. For young children of non–English-language background, the early childhood teacher must create an environment which is accepting and appreciative of diversity. For non– English-speaking children, a teacher needs to accept individual differences with regard to language-learning time frames and give young children the time needed to acquire, explore, and experience second-language learning. The ability to speak is not always directly related to the ability to understand. This is why young children can repeat words to a song without understanding what the words mean. Young children may also act as if they understand what is said, when in fact, they do not. The teacher or child care worker who is not aware of these language limitations of young children can easily lose their attention. This is because young children are really just learning how to listen. Readiness for reading is termed “emerging literacy.” This term refers to the time immediately before a child learns to read printed symbols as well as to the continuous development of prereading skills that begins at birth. Pre-writing skills are also considered a part of a child’s emerging literacy. Learning to write involves fine motor skills and much hand–eye coordination. While actual writing practice is not appropriate in the early childhood program, activities that allow young children to practice these skills, such as painting, cutting, and working with clay, are practice writing skills. Just as the child develops physically in a gradual process, reading skills also develop gradually. Early experiences at home and in the early childhood program can positively influence a child’s reading readiness. The use of children’s books and poetry in the early childhood program helps develop young children’s reading readiness. Children’s books must be appropriate for the developmental level of the child. This means that the pictures must be easily seen and the story easily understood by the young listeners. Older children enjoy illustrations in their books but the text is becoming equally as important. Various kinds of fiction books are appropriate for middle and upper elementary children. The way a teacher reads to young children is just as important as choosing the right books. Guidelines for reading to children as well as tips of storytelling are presented to assist teachers in these activities.
CHAPTER 18 Creative Language Experiences
KEY TERMS anti-bias curriculum (ABC) inclusive environment
literacy pretend reading
LEARNING ACTIVITIES A. Observe an early childhood program and describe the language development of the children. Record at least three statements from the children to share with your classmates. Discuss your findings in class. B. Visit a library and ask a librarian to recommend two good books for each of the following age levels: two-year-olds, three- and four-year-olds, and fiveyear-olds. Compare each of the books on the following points. 1. number of pages 2. average number of sentences per page; average number of words per sentence 3. theme of the book 4. number of illustrations and size Discuss how the books were similar and different for each age group. If possible, bring your books into class. Share your ideas on them with your classmates. Make a second visit to the library and ask a librarian to recommend two good books for each of these levels: kindergarten–grade 3 and grades 4–5. Compare these books on the same points. C. Give examples from your own experience with young children of the various language skills discussed in this chapter. For example, do you know any children who are better talkers than listeners? Better listeners? D. Study the language development of a child three to six years of age and compare it to Figure 18–1. What similarities do you find? What differences do you find? You may wish to make comparisons with another child of approximately the same age. E. Based on the information given in this chapter for selecting appropriate books, begin a story file with at least five excellent books for children three to six years of age. Make a card for each book. On the card, include the title of the book, author, illustrator, publisher, copyright date, age level the story is appropriate for, and a brief summary of the story. F. Go to the drugstore or variety store and look over the inexpensive books offered there for children. Select and purchase a desirable and undesirable
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one and bring them to class. Be ready to explain their weak and strong points. G. Observe groups of children at play to collect examples of their language. Group examples according to the ages of the children. What similarities and differences do you observe? H. Observe in a classroom where young children have free-choice activities. Select three activities and, for five minutes during each activity, record children’s language as they play. During which activity was there the most talking? Why do you think this was so? How would you change the activities to encourage more talking? Explain. I. Use the Internet to research books for young children. (See Chapter 27 for additional Web sites.) Try these: ■ The Lion and the Unicorn: A Critical Journal of Children’s Literature — www.press.jhu.edu/journals/lion_and_the_unicorn/ (1-800-548-1784). ■ The Horn Book— www.hbook.com (1-800-325-1170) ■ The Hungry Mind Review— www.bookwire.com/hmr Find books for preschool, kindergarten—grade 3, and grades 4–5. Share your experience with the Web sites and finding books in this way.
POEMS FOR YOUNG CHILDREN ANIMALS My Rabbits My two white rabbits chase each other With humping, bumping backs. They go hopping, hopping And their long ears Go flopping, flopping And they make faces With their noses up and down. Today I went inside their fence To play rabbit with them And in one corner under a loose bush I saw something shivering in the leaves. And I pushed And I looked And I found There in a hole in the ground, Three baby rabbits hidden away And they made faces With their noses up and down.
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If You Find a Little Feather If you find a little feather, A little white feather, A soft and tickly feather It’s for you. A feather is a letter From a bird And it says, “Think of me,” “do not forget me.” “Remember me always.” “Remember me at least until the little feather is lost.” So—if you find a little feather, A little white feather, A soft and tickly feather, It’s for you. Pick it up, and put it in your Pocket. There Once Was a Puffin Oh, there once was a puffin Just the shape of a muffin And he lived on an island In the Bright Blue Sea! He ate little fishes, That were most delicious, And he had them for supper And he Had Them For tea. But this poor little puffin, He couldn’t play nothin’, For he hadn’t anybody To Play With At all. So he sat on his island, And he cried for awhile, and He felt very lonely, And he felt Very small. Then along came the fishes, And they said, “If you wishes, You can have us for playmates, Instead Of For tea.”
So they now play together In all sorts of weather And the puffin eats pancakes Like you And Like me. Caterpillar A fuzzy, wuzzy caterpillar On a summer day Wriggled and wriggled and wriggled, On his way. He lifted up his head To get a better view. He wanted some nice green Leaves to chew. He wriggled and he wriggled From his toes to his head And he crawled about until He found a comfy bed. He curled up tight In a warm little wrap And settled himself For a nice long nap. He slept and he slept And he slept until One day he awoke And broke from his shell. He stretched and stretched And he found he had wings! He turned into a butterfly Such a pretty-colored thing. Oh, how happily He flew away, And he flew and he flew In the sun all day. Mice I think mice Are rather nice. Their tails are long, Their faces small. They haven’t any Chins at all. Their teeth are white, They run about The house at night. They nibble things They shouldn’t touch And no one seems To like them much. But I think mice Are nice.
CHAPTER 18 Creative Language Experiences
If I Were a Fish I like to play in water And if I were a fish, I’d have water all around me In a big glass dish. My tail would make it splatter ’Til it splashed the sky, And the mother fish would only say, “No, don’t get dry!” Tiny Tim I had a little turtle. His name was Tiny Tim; I put him in the bathtub To see if he could swim. He drank up all the water; He ate up all the soap; And woke up in the morning With bubbles in his throat.
SEEDS AND PLANTS Mister Carrot Nice Mister Carrot Makes curly hair, His head grows underneath the ground— And early in the morning I find him in his bed And give his feet a great big pull And out comes his head! The Apple Within its polished universe, The apple holds a star, A secret constellation To scatter near and far. Let a knife discover Where the five points hide. Split the shining ruby And find the star inside. Seed In the heart of a seed, Buried deep so deep, A dear little plant lay fast asleep. “Wake,” said the sunshine “And creep to light.” “Wake,” said the voice of raindrops bright. The little plant heard And rose to see What the wonderful world Outside might be.
Dandelions On dandelions as yellow as gold, What do you do all day? I wait and wait in the tall green grass Till the children come out to play. Oh dandelion as yellow as gold, What do you do all night? I wait and wait in the tall green grass Till my yellow hair turns white. And what do the little children do When they come out to play? They pick me up in their hands And blow my white hair away.
BIRTHDAYS Five Years Old Please, everybody look at me. Today I’m five years old, you see. After this, I won’t be four, Not ever, ever, anymore; I won’t be three, or two, or one, For that was when I’d first begun. Now I’ll be five awhile, and then I’ll soon be something else again! The Birthday Child Everything’s been different All the day long. Lovely things have happened, Nothing has gone wrong. Nobody has scolded me, Everyone has smiled. Isn’t it delicious To be a birthday child. When I Was One When I was one, I had just begun. When I was two, I was nearly new. When I was three, I was hardly me. When I was four, I was not much more. When I was five, I was just alive. But now I am six, I’m as clever as clever So I think I’ll be six now For ever and ever.
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ACTION POEMS A Swing Song Up, down Up and down, Which is the way to London Town? Where? Where? Up in the air, Close your eyes, and now you are There. Swinging Hold on tightly, up we go Swinging high and swinging low. See-Saw See-saw Margery Daw, Jack shall have a new master. He shall have but a penny a day, Because he won’t work any faster. The Ball Bounce the ball and catch the ball One, and two! Bounce the ball and catch the ball, And I throw it back to you. Bounce the ball and catch the ball, One, two, three! Bounce the ball and catch the ball, And toss it back to me. Blocks Blocks will build a tower tall, Blocks will make a long, long wall, Blocks will build a house or plane, A truck, a tunnel, or a train. Get the blocks, so we can see What they’ll build for you and me. Soap Bubbles Fill the pipe! Gently blow; Now you’ll see The bubbles grow! Strong at first, Then they burst, Then they go to Nothing, oh! All Excited I wondered and I wondered When I could go to school. They said I wasn’t old enough According to the rule.
I waited and I waited I was patient as could be. And now—I’m all excited It’s time for school for me! The Train My train runs on a track Chug-a-chug, chug-a-chug Slow at first, then faster, Chug-a-chug, chug-a-chug, Chug-a-chug-chug! Round and round the wheels go Just listen to the whistle blow, Toot-toot-toot! Chug-a-chug, chug-a-chug, Toot-toot-toot!! Toys See the toys on my shelf? I can count them by myself. One, two, three, four, five. Here’s an airplane, zoom, zoom, And a drum, boom, boom, A ball that bounces up and down. A top that spins round and round. A telephone, so I can say, “Come and play with me today.” Raggedy Ann Raggedy Ann is my best friend She’s so relaxed, just see her bend. First at the waist, then at the knee Her arms are swinging, oh so free. Her head rolls around like a rubber ball, She hasn’t any bones at all. Raggedy Ann is stuffed with rags, That’s why her body wigs and wags. The Cupboard I know a little cupboard With a teeny tiny key. And there’s a jar of lollipops For me, me, me. It has a little shelf, my dears, As dark as dark can be, And there’s a dish of Banbury Cakes For me, me, me. I have a small flat grandmomma With a very slippery knee, And she’s the keeper of the cupboard With the key, key, key. And when I’m very good, my dears, As good as good can be, There’s Banbury Cakes, and lollipops For me, me, me.
CHAPTER 18 Creative Language Experiences
If I Were If I were an owl, At night I’d prowl. If I were a bear, At night I’d growl. If I were a sheep, At night I’d bleat. But since I’m a child, At night I sleep.
PERSONAL HYGIENE New Shoes I have new shoes in the fall time. And new shoes in the spring. Whenever I wear my new shoes I always have to sing. Shoe Lacing Across and across the shoe we go, Across and across, begin at the toe. Criss and cross us over and then, Through the hole, and across again! Loose Tooth I had a little tooth that wiggled It wiggled quite a lot; I never could be sure if it Was coming out or not. I pushed it with my tongue To see if it would drop; But there it stayed and wiggled Until I thought I’d pop. My auntie tied it with a string And slammed the kitchen door! And now I haven’t got a tooth That wiggles anymore. But Then A tooth fell out And left a space So big my tongue Can touch my face. And every time I smile, I show A space where something Used to grow. I miss my tooth, As you can guess. But then, I have to Brush one less!
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Washing With soap and water, I rub my hands; With the bubbly suds, I scrub my hands, Rubbity, scrubbity scrub! Rub my hands And scrub my hands, Til no more dirt is seen! Rub and scrub; Rub and scrub And then my hands are clean! Naughty Soap Song Just when I’m ready to start On my ears, That is the time that my Soap disappears, It jumps from my fingers, and Slithers and slides Down to the end of the tub Where it hides, And acts in a most disobedient Way, And that’s why my soap’s Growing thinner each day.
ACTIVITIES FOR CHILDREN LANGUAGE ACTIVITIES
Name Games. Playing with children’s names can build a sensitivity to the sounds of language and the use of words. ■ The patterns and rhymes found in children’s names can be explored. Begin by clapping the rhythm of children’s names: Stephanie, Richard, Allison. Children can use rhythm sticks, drums, or triangles to follow the beat of their names and find ways to jump, step, hop, or slide to the rhythm of their names. These activities will attune children to the sound of words. ■ Children’s names can also be used to further understanding of the connection between the spoken and written word. Children’s names are spoken and then written over cubbies, on paintings and artwork, and on other personal objects. Use lists of children’s names whenever possible so the similarities and differences between names can be observed. You might list all of the children who have a birthday during each month or those voting
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to name the guinea pig Christina and those voting to name it Andrea. Other lists might name each child who has brown, black, or blond hair.
Outdoor Language Experiences. Outdoor play materials can be used for language experiences. These can promote awareness of the printed word in young children. Tricycle paths can have traffic signs (commercial or teacher-made). The work bench can have rebus charts to describe something to build. Animal cages and insect containers can have rebus instructions for care. In addition, seed packages can be used to label plants in the garden, graphs of plant growth can be created, and collections of nature objects can be gathered and labeled. Charts of pictures of safety rules can be on display.
Recycled Materials for Language Experiences. ■ Mail-order catalogs. These are a comfortable hand size for young children and have more pictures and fewer words than regular magazines. Use them to find categories of colors, objects, beginning sounds, etc. Be sure to screen them first for any inappropriate pictures. ■ Purse story. Fill old pocketbooks with assorted items such as tickets, keys, lists, snacks, make-up, combs, and so on. Have the child examine the contents of the purse and tell about the owner. List the ideas. Draw pictures of how the owner of the purse might look. Tape stories about the owner. ■ Original picture books. Photograph events throughout the year and have the children use these pictures to tell stories. Place photos and children’s stories in a self-sticking photo album to become a permanent part of the book corner. ■ For older children use catalogs for language arts activities. Discuss words used to describe materials. For example: find synonyms for “soft usable”; explain what “pre-shrunk jeans,” “wash and wear,” or “telescoping” mean; rewrite descriptions of items to give them another meaning.
POETRY ACTIVITIES
Poem of the Week. Use large newsprint to print the poem of your choice. Use illustrations. Try substituting pictures for words in the poem. Have them point to the pictures when you read the poem to them.
Cluster Poems. Select a subject of interest to young children—animals, seasons, weather. Read several poems, each by a different poet. See if the children like one more than another. Have them talk about why. Draw or paint pictures of their favorite.
Musical Poetry. Locate a short piece of instrumental music to play as background music while you read a poem to the children.
Rhyming Nonsense.
Although poetry does not have to rhyme to be effective, children do enjoy making their own rhymes. Allow them to create a poem using rhyming words of their choice. The words do not have to make sense. Write them on paper for the child.
Descriptive Poem. Have the children select a subject that will be the title of the poem. Encourage them to give you two words that tell something about the subject, for example, cat— furry, soft; broccoli—green, yucky.
LISTENING EXERCISES
Noisy Story. The noisy story develops vocabulary and skill in sequencing of story events. It also permits pupils of varying levels to participate. Prepare a set of cards, each card having a noisy word on it such as PEEP, BANG, BUZZ, and ROAR. Give each child a card, considering individual readability levels. Select a leader to begin the noisy story, using the noisy word on his or her card. The other children take turns in adding to the story, using the words on their cards. The leader might start the story by saying, “Bill fed the baby chick and it went peep.” The next child might add, “The baby chick was scared when the balloon went bang.” The story would be completed when all the pupils have had a turn. Other groups of words could be used such as action words, animal words, people words, toy words, etc. The game could also expand to include writing the story, illustrating the story, acting the story out, and many other creative activities.
Who Is That? Tape voices; radio and television are good sources, as well as people you know. Tape voices of people the children know: the custodian, the principal, other children. Tape singers, news announcers, political figures, comedians, cartoon characters, and movie stars. Play the voices back and have the children identify them.
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Where Is the Bell? With the children seated in a circle, have one child leave the room. Give one of the children in the room a bell that is small enough to hide in one hand. Ask the child who left the room to come back in. When the child has returned, have all of the children stand and shake their hands above their heads. You may use more than one bell when the children become accustomed to the game. The player who is “it” will have three chances to locate the bell.
rather spongy towels work best. You can use felt markers to decorate the shapes, and the children will love playing with them. ■ Save used, sponge-type dryer fabric softener sheets to cut into pieces and use as backing for paper flannel board shapes. ■ Other materials that can be used for flannel board shapes or for backing are felt, flannel, flocked wallpaper, sandpaper, and fabric interfacing.
Are You Listening? Fill eight margarine tubs (with
Tape That. Tape a story all of the children have read—but make some mistakes, changing words here and there. Have the children listen to the tape and pick out the errors.
plastic lids) with different materials: for example, two with flour, two with buttons, two with nails, two with pins. Have the children find the two that sound alike by shaking them.
Character Collage. Instead of wondering how Whose Voice Is It? Form a circle of several children. Blindfold one child or have her cover her eyes and have this child stand in the middle. Have the children regroup so that each will be in a different place in the circle. Then have each child make a simple statement such as, “I like to play games.” The child in the center then points to one child and identifies this child or asks questions (up to three) that must be answered in a sentence. If the child who is “it” guesses correctly or fails to after three times, “it” returns to the circle and another child becomes “it.”
MISCELLANEOUS ACTIVITIES
Flannel Board Tips. Flannel boards are excellent for language development activities. Consider the following hints when using a flannel board. ■ For easy-to-store flannel boards, purchase old foldup gameboards at garage sales and cover them with flannel. The boards are sturdy and will stand up by themselves. Make several different backgrounds to use for favorite stories and activities. ■ If your room has a storage container on wheels, you can use it as a flannel board as well as a room divider by attaching flannel securely to the back with a staple gun. ■ A carpet sample or piece of indoor-outdoor carpeting can be used as a flannel board. Both are available at carpet stores and are relatively inexpensive. ■ When making a flannel board, slip a piece of wire screen between the flannel and the backing and use it with magnets. ■ Create flannel board shapes easily and inexpensively by making them out of paper towels. Thick, white,
much your children are getting out of the stories you read together, you can enrich their reading experience with a cut-and-paste activity that could generate imaginative thinking and discussion. Have on hand some old magazines, catalogs, sheets of paper, scissors, and paste or stick glue. First, talk a little with the children about a book you have recently read together. Ask the children to identify their favorite character and make this character the subject of a picture collage. The idea is to think carefully about the character as you all thumb through the magazines, cutting (or tearing, as the case may be) out pictures that in some way represent or remind you of the character. For example, a Winnie-the-Pooh collage may include pictures of a honey jar, a teddy bear, and someone looking thoughtful because, as the children may have observed, “Pooh always sits and thinks before he does anything.” After the collage is completed, encourage the children to make up stories about their pictures.
What’s in the Bookstore? Is there a bookstore in your neighborhood? Take the children on a trip there. (Call ahead to arrange the best time.) Show them some of the most interesting books, especially inexpensive paperbacks. If there is no bookstore nearby, is there another store that sells books? Find out about different book clubs for children.
I Can Read Pictures. Gathering information from pictures is a useful skill. Have the children look at some pictures in a book. How much can they learn about the characters without reading any of the words? Do the words and pictures always agree? Could the children make up a different story to go with the pictures?
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Library Lessons. Do all of the children in the class have a library card? Plan a trip to the public library and ask the librarian to speak to them about all the services the library offers. When the children return to class, ask them to tell about all the services they remember and to explain how to join the library.
Nonverbal Communication. Not all language is verbal. Have the children act out the following phrases silently: “Stop!” “Just a minute!” “Yes!” “No!” “I’m tired.” “I have a headache.” “That smells good.” “What a surprise!”
ACTIVITIES FOR OLDER CHILDREN (GRADES 4–5) The following are some suggested activities to liven up the elementary language arts program. Use your knowledge of each child’s reading level to choose those activities that are appropriate for your children.
Book Reports. The following are some fun ways to
■ Develop some simple sketches that could be drawn on the chalkboard as you are giving the report.
Reversibles. Explain what reversible words are with examples (understand, stand under). Point out that while such turnabout words differ in meaning as they are reversed, the degree of difference is not the same in each case. Players are to write or tell sentences for six pairs of reversibles, trying to use them amusingly and effectively to show their differences. Here are some reversibles to begin the activity: understudy, study under; overcome, come over; indoors, doors in; outgoing, going out; overdone, done over; overturn, turn over; withhold, hold with; instill, still in. This can be modified to include illustrations of the reversibles, a spelling lesson, working as partners to develop lists.
TV Guide. Supplement regular reading materials with the TV Guide. Develop vocabulary based on real experiences, as well as skill in distinguishing between fact, opinion, fantasy, and reality and in recognizing multiple word meanings. Set up criteria for selecting programs.
give book reports (sometimes a dreaded assignment). ■ Choose a friend who has read the same book; have a debate about it. ■ Illustrate a mural explaining the sequences of the book. ■ Simulate an interview about the book. Have a friend help you provide questions to ask about the book.
Solutions. On separate paper strips, write these and other problems: lost my door key, scared to give my book report, came to school late, tore my jeans, etc. Post one of the problems on a bulletin board. Working in small groups, the children discuss how to respond to and/or solve the problem. Then, the groups present and defend their responses. Guide them in considering other responses and solutions.
■ Act out or pantomime scenes from the book. ■ Make a time-line and enter on the time-line the sequence of events that occurred in the story. ■ Develop a brochure advertising the book. ■ Develop paper dolls that depict characters in the book and display the paper dolls as though they were giving the report. ■ Give the report in riddle form; have the class guess what book you are reporting on. ■ Make up comic strips depicting the story content. ■ Develop overhead transparencies that relate to the story. Present the report, using the overhead projector and transparencies. ■ Write the report as a newspaper article. ■ Develop the report as an advertisement for television. ■ If the story content lends itself to a real-life situation, report on the book as a happening in the present environment.
Interviews. Send students out to conduct interviews on specific topics. Formulate the questions ahead of time. School issues may work best. When students report back to the class, have them give information about the source, but not the name of the source. Ask students to decide if the opinion came from a reliable source, based on criteria established together. Reading Pictures.
Have students clip magazine photos that show feelings. Show one of the pictures to a group and have them brainstorm the feelings shown in the photo. Then they write what occurred just before the photo was snapped, the dialogue when the photo was taken, and a caption for the picture. For further activities, select photos and ask the students to remark on something happening in the picture. Photos of animals from National Geographic work well. Have students describe the weather and location. Next, ask them to tell what happened after the picture was taken; what will happen one day later, one week later.
CHAPTER 18 Creative Language Experiences
Pantomime in Language Arts. Prior to the pantomime activity, design a homophone word list with the children. (Homophones are words that sound alike, but are spelled differently and have a different meaning.) Upon completing the list, the children form a circle. The teacher calls out a word and the children pantomime a meaning for that word. Then the homophone is called and the children show that meaning. Try using the following words in this exercise: ant/aunt; bear/bare/; board/bored; buy/bye; clothes/ close; eight/ate; flour/flower; grate/great; hear/here; knight/ night; lends/lens; marry/merry; prints/prince; ring/ wring; shoe/shoo; tow/toe; we/wee; yolk/yoke.
Writing Stories. It is sometimes difficult for children to realize the plot is not just what happens in a story but the events and the order in which they occur. This activity helps children understand this concept as the activity emphasizes the importance of sequence in plot construction and can be correlated to story creation and literary study. Show the children a series of three to six pictures which may or may not be related. Illustrations from favorite books, pictures of expressive faces, action photographs, and copies of museum quality prints are often easy to work with. The children then make up a story based on what they see. These stories can be shared orally, written, or shown through dramatization. To continue the activity, change the order of the pictures and invite the children to make up a new story. To further emphasize the importance of sequence of events in plot construction, select two pictures from stories the children are reading or particularly enjoy. The same characters should be in both pictures. Ask the children to improvise a scene in which (1) these characters appear; (2) one picture suggests the opening of their story; and (3) the other picture suggests the ending of their story. After the children create and play this scene, ask them to develop a second improvisation, reversing the pictures. The ending picture becomes the beginning and vice versa. After playing this scene, discuss how the same pictures, in a different order, changed their story creations.
CHAPTER REVIEW 1. Describe ways by which children develop language skills. Explain the pattern of growth. 2. Discuss guidelines to follow when reading to young children. 3. Why can some children speak more easily than other children? Why are some children better listeners than others?
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4. Why is it important for adults to speak with children at their level during their daily activities? 5. What are some things to consider when choosing books for young children? Why is it necessary to consider these things? 6. Much is said about being “ready” to read. What exactly does “emerging literacy” mean? How can a teacher help encourage this emerging literacy? 7. Why are teaching reading and writing not appropriate in the early childhood program? What is taught instead in these two areas? 8. Discuss how to work with bilingual/bicultural young children in language development.
REFERENCES Brent, R., & Anderson, P. (1993). Developing children’s classroom listening strategies. The Reading Teacher, 47(2), 122–126. Derman-Sparks, L., & ABC Task Force. (1989). Antibias curriculum: Tools for empowering young children. Washington, DC: NAEYC. DeSoto, W. J. (1991). Perspectives on multicultural language experiences. Urbana, IL: National Council of Teachers of English. Elster, C. (1994, March). I guess they do listen: Young children’s emergent readings after adult readalouds. Young Children, 27–31. Farrell, J. M. (1991, March 31). Literacy experts suggest dusting off Mother Goose. Knight Ridder Newspapers. Holdaway, D. (1979). The foundations of literacy. Auckland, New Zealand: Ashton Scholastic. Ramsey, P. (1987). Teaching and learning in a diverse world. New York: Teachers College Press, Columbia University. Sulzby, E. (1985). Emergent reading of favorite storybooks: A developmental study. Reading Research Quarterly, 20(4), 458–481. U.S. National Institute of Neurological Disease and Stroke, National Institutes of Health, and U.S. Department of Health, Education, and Welfare. (1969). Learning to talk. Washington, DC: U.S. government Printing Office, pp. 22–24.
ADDITIONAL READINGS Armington, D. (1997). The living classroom: Writing, reading and beyond. Washington, DC: NAEYC. Blaska, J. K. (1996). Using children’s literature to learn about disabilities and illness. Moorhead, MN: Practical Press.
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Brent, R., & Anderson, P. (1993). Developing children’s classroom listening strategies. The Reading Teacher, 47(2), 122–126. Carr, J. C. (1999). A child went forth: Reflective teaching with young readers and writers. Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann. Collins, N. L. D., & Schaeffer, M. B. (1997). Look, listen, and learn to read. Young Children, 52(5), 65–68. Derman-Sparks, L., & the ABC Task Force. (1989). Anti-bias curriculum: Tools for empowering young children. Washington, DC: NAEYC. Farnette, C., Forte, I., & Loss, B. (1999). Special kid’s stuff: High-interest/low-vocabulary reading and language arts activities. Nashville, TN: Incentive Publications. Forte, I. (1999). Grades 4–5 grammar and usage: Inventive exercises to sharpen skills and raise achievement. Nashville, TN: Incentive Publications. Forte, I. (1999). Grades 4–5 reading comprehension: Inventive exercises to sharpen skills and raise achievement. Nashville, TN: Incentive Publications. Forte, I. (1999). Grades 4–5 words and vocabulary: Inventive exercises to sharpen skills and raise achievement. Nashville, TN: Incentive Publications. Forte, I., & Frank, M. (1999). Writing grades 4–5: Inventive exercises to sharpen skills and raise achievement. Nashville, TN: Incentive Publications. Forte, I., & Schurr, S. (1999). Using favorite picture books to stimulate discussion and encourage critical thinking. Nashville, TN: Incentive Publications. Fountain, I. C., & Pinnell, G. S. (1999). Matching books to readers: Using leveled books in guided reading, k–3. Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann. Glover, M. K. (1999). A garden of poets: Poetry writing in the elementary classroom. Urbana, IL: National Council of Teachers of English. Goodman, K. D. (Ed.). (1998). In defense of good teaching: What teachers need to know about the “Reading Wars.” York, ME: Stenhouse. Gross, A., & Oritz, L. (1994). Using children’s literature to facilitate inclusion in kindergarten and the primary grades. Young Children, 49(3), 32–35. Hammond, M., Howard, P., Marantz, K., Packard, M., Shaw, J., & Wilson, M. (1994). The picturebook: Source and resource for art education. Reston, VA: National Art Educators Association. Hydrick, J. (1998). Parents’ guide to literacy for the 21st century. Urbana, IL: National Council of Teachers of English. Hyun, E. (1998). Making sense of developmentally and culturally appropriate practice (DCAP) in early childhood education. New York: Peter Lang.
International Reading Association & NAEYC. (1998). Learning to read and write: Developmentally appropriate practices for young children: Joint position statement by the International Reading Association and the National Association for the Education of Young Children. Young Children, 53(4), 30–46. Johnson, P. (1997). Pictures and words together: Children illustrating and writing their own books. Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann. Johnston, F. R., & Invernizzi, M. (1998). Book buddies: Guidelines for volunteer tutors of emergent and early readers. New York: Guilford. Keyser, E. L. (Ed.). (1999). Children’s literature, 27. New Haven, CT: Yale University Press. Mackenzie, J. (1999). Early experiences in literature. Nashville, TN: Incentive Publications. McCarrier, A., Pinnell, G. S., & Fountas, I. C. (1999). Interactive writing: How language and literacy come together k–2. Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann. McClure, A. A., & Kristo, J. V. (Eds.). (1998). Books that invite talk, wonder & play. Urbana, IL: National Council of Teachers of English. McElmeel, S. (1999). 100 most popular children’s authors: Biographical sketches and bibliographies. New York: Libraries Unlimited. Morrow, L. M., Strickland, D. S., & Woo, D. G. (1998). Literacy instruction in half- and whole-day kindergarten: Research to practice. Newark, DE: International Reading Assoc. Nieto, S. (1999). The light in their eyes: Creating multicultural learning communities. New York: Teacher’s College Press. Opitz, M. D. (Ed.). (1998). Literacy instruction for culturally and linguistically diverse students. Newark, DE: International Reading Association. Ramsey, P. (1987). Teaching and learning in a diverse world. New York: Teachers College Press, Columbia University. Schickedanz, J. (1999). Much more than the abc’s: The early stages of reading and writing. Washington, DC: NAEYC. Smith, J. W. A., & Elley, W. B. (1998). How children learn to write. Katonah, NY: Richard Owen Publishers. Spitz, E. H. (1999). Inside picture books. New Haven, CT: Yale University Press. Strickland, D. C. (1998). Teaching phonics today: A primer for educators. Newark, DE: International Reading Assoc. West, M. I. (1997). Everyone’s guide to children’s literature. Fort Atkinson, WI: Highsmith.
CHAPTER 18 Creative Language Experiences
BOOKS FOR CHILDREN PRESCHOOL Allen, J. (2000). Wake up, Sleeping Beauty! An interactive book with sounds. New York: Dial. Arnold, K. (1994). Knock, knock, Teremock. Miami, FL: North-South. Baker, A. (1999). Black and white rabbit’s ABC. Helena, MT: Kingfisher. Banks, K. (1998). And if the moon could talk. New York: Foster/Farrar. Banner, A. (1998). Ant and Bee: An alphabetical story. Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann. Banner, A. (1991). Ant and Bee and the ABC. Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann. Campbell, R. (1999). Dear zoo. New York: Simon & Schuster. Carter, D. A. (1994). Alpha bugs. New York: Simon & Schuster. Chandra, D. (1999). A is for Amos. New York: Farrar. Demarest, C. (1999). The cowboy ABC. New York: DK Publishing. Dunrea, O. (1998). The trow-wife’s treasure. New York: Farrar. Falls, C. B. (1998). ABC book. New York: Books of Wonder/Morrow Junior Books. Fox, M. (1999). Sleepy bears. San Diego: Harcourt Brace Children’s Books. Golding, K. (1998). Alphababies. New York: DK Publishing. Hoban, T. (1987). I read signs. New York: Mulberry. Hoban, T. 1995). 26 letters and 99 cents. New York: Mulberry. Hoban, T. (1999). I read symbols. New York: Morrow. Hoberman, M. A. (1998). The llama who had no pajama: 100 favorite poems. New York: Harcourt. Hoffman, M. (Reteller). (1998). A twist in the tail: Animal stories from around the world. New York: Holt. Howland, N. (2000). ABC drive!: A car trip alphabet. Boston: Houghton Mifflin. Isadora, R. (1999). ABC pop! New York: Viking. Johnson, D. A. (Reteller). (1998). Old Mother Hubbard: A nursery rhyme. New York: McElderry. Kirk, D. (2000). Miss spider’s ABC. New York: Scholastic. Lester, A. (1998). Alice & Aldo. Boston: Lorraine. Lottridge, C. B. (Reteller). (1994). Ten small tales. New York: Macmillan. Marzollo, J. (1998). I spy little animals. New York: Scholastic.
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Marzollo, J. (2000). I spy little letters. New York: Scholastic. Mayer, M. (1998). Little critter®’s read-it-yourself storybook. New York: Golden Books. Milne, A. A., & Powers, J. (Eds.). (2000). Pooh’s great big word book. New York: Penguin Putnam Books. Most, B. (2000). ABC t-rex. New York: Harcourt Brace. Muntean, M. (1999). Zip! Pop! Hop! And other fun words to say. New York: Random House. Murdocca, S. (2000). Grover’s own alphabet. New York: Random House. Opie, T. (1999). Here comes Mother Goose: Everything a child needs to know. New York: Candlewick. Orozco, J. L .(1998). Diez deditos/ten little fingers: and other play rhymes and action songs from Latin America. New York: Dutton. Pelham, D. (1997). ABC fun: Applebee cat’s activity adventure. New York: Dutton. Reiser, L. (1998). Cherry pies and lullabies. New York: Greenwillow. Sandved, K. B. (1999). The butterfly alphabet. New York: Scholastic. San Souci, R. D. (Adapter). (1998). Cendrillon: A Caribbean Cinderella. New York: Simon & Schuster. Scarry, R. (2000). Richard Scarry’s early words. New York: Random House. Schick, E., & Tapahonso, L. (1999). Navajo ABC. New York: Simon & Schuster. Sturges, P. (1995). Rainsong/snowsong. Miami, FL: North-South. VanLaan, N. (1998). With a whoop and a holler: A bushel of lore from way down south. New York: Simon & Schuster. Walton, R. (2000). So many bunnies: A bedtime ABC and counting book. New York: Morrow. Wells, R. (1998). Read to your bunny. New York: Scholastic. Wilkes, A. (1999). My first word book. New York: DK Publishing. Winter, J. (1999). Hey diddle diddle. San Diego, CA: Harcourt Brace Children’s Books. Winter, J. (1999). Rock-a-bye baby. San Diego, CA: Harcourt Brace Children’s Books.
KINDERGARTEN–GRADE 3 Asch, F. (1998). Ziggy Piggy and the three little pigs. Minneapolis, MN: Kids Can Press. Aylesworth, J. (Reteller). (1999). Aunt Pitty Patty’s piggy. New York: Scholastic.
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Babbit, N. (1999). Ouch! A tale from Grimm. New York: HarperCollins. Berry, J. (1999). Isn’t my name magical? Sister & brother poems. New York: Simon & Schuster. Bogarti, J. E. (1999). Jeremiah learns to read. New York: Orchard. Dalco, M. S. (1999). A spirited alphabet from a to z. Nashville, TN: Hampton Roads Publishing. DePaola, T. (1997). Mice squeak, we speak. New York: Putnam. George, K. O. (1999). Little dog poems. New York: Clarion. Gollub, M. (1998). Cool melons—Turn to frogs!: The life and poems of Issa. New York: Lee & Low. Greenberg, D. T. (1998). Bugs! Boston: Little Brown. Heller, R. (1996). Mine, all mine: A book about pronouns. New York: Grosset & Dunlap. Heller, R. (1998). Fantastic! Wow! And unreal! A book about interjections and conjunctions. New York: Grosset & Dunlap. Hoberman, M. A. (1999). The cozy book. San Diego: Harcourt Brace Children’s Books. Kay, V. (1999). Gold fever. New York: Putnam. Kellogg, S. (1997). Library Lil. New York: Dial. Kennedy, D. (Ed.). (1998). Make things fly: Poems about the wind. Houston, TX: Younger. Kimmel, E. A. (Reteller). (1998). Seven at one blow: A tale from the Brothers Grimm. New York: Holiday House. Lowry, L. (1999). Zooman Sam. Boston: Houghton Mifflin. Merriam, E. (1998). What in the world? New York: Harper Growing Tree. Myers, C. (1999). Black cat. New York: Scholastic Press. Myers, W. D. (1998). Harlem: A poem. New York: Scholastic. Nichol, B. (1998). Biscuits in the cupboard. Toronto, Canada: Stoddart Kids. Nye, N. S. (Selector). (1998). The space between our footsteps: Poems & paintings from the Middle East. New York: Simon & Schuster. Ogburn, J. K. (1997). The reptile ball. New York: Dial. Paul, W. (1999). Everything to spend the night from a to z. New York: DK Publishing. Rahaman, V. (1997). Read for me, Mama. Honesdale, PA: Boyds Mills Press. Schertle, A. (1999). I am the cat. New York: Lothrop, Lee & Shepard. Schwartz, A. (1999). Old MacDonald. New York: Scholastic. Sierra, J. (1998). Antarctic antics: A book of penguin poems. New York: Gulliver Books. Sloat, T. (1999). Farmer Brown goes round and round. New York: DK Ink.
Steig, J. (Reteller). (1999). A handful of beans: Six fairy tales. New York: HarperCollins. Stewig, J. W. (1999). King Midas. New York: Holiday House. Wood, A. (1999). The napping house. San Diego: Harcourt Brace Children’s Books. GRADES 4–5 Atwater, R., & Atwater, F. (1999). Mr. Popper’s penguins. Boston: Little Brown. Avi. (1990). The true confessions of Charlotte Doyle. New York: Orchard. Avi. (1993). Captain Grey. New York: Morrow. Banks, L. R. (1998). The Indian in the cupboard. New York: Doubleday. Bauer, M. D. (1999). On my honor. New York: Clarion. Brown, C. (1998). Polkabats and octopusslacks: 14 stories. Boston: Houghton Mifflin. Brown, F. (2000). Ned’s journal. New York: Harcourt & Brace. Calmenson, S. (1989). The principal’s new clothes. New York: Scholastic. Cohn, A. (1993). From sea to shining sea: A treasury of American folklore and folk songs. New York: Scholastic. Cullum, A. (2000). The geranium on the window sill just died but teacher you went right on. New York: Harlin Quist Books. Dakos, K. (1995). If you’re not here, please raise your hand: Poems about school. New York: Simon & Schuster. DeFelice, C. (1998). Weasel. New York: Simon & Schuster. Esbensen, B. J. (Reteller). (1989). Ladder to the sky. Boston: Little Brown. Fleischman, P. (1992). Joyful noise: Poems for two voices. New York: HarperCollins. Fleischman, P. (2000). Big talk: Poems for four voices. New York: Candlewick. Geras, A. (1990). My grandmother’s stories: A collection of Jewish folk tales. New York: Knopf. Gollub, M. (1998). Cool melons—Turn to frogs!: The life and poems of Issa. New York: Lee & Low. Granfield, K. (2000). In Flanders fields: The story poem by John McRae. Buffalo, NY: Stoddart Kids. Gross, V. T. (1991). The day it rained forever: A story of the Johnstown flood. New York: Viking. Hesse, K. (1998). Out of the dust. New York: Scholastic. Hooks, W. H. (1987). Moss gown. New York: Clarion. Jacques, B. (1993). Martin the warrior. New York: Philomel. Janeczko, P. (2000). Stone beach in an empty park. New York: Orchard.
CHAPTER 18 Creative Language Experiences
Johnson, D. (Ed.). (2000). Movin’: Teen poets take voice. New York: Orchard. Kerson, A. (1993). Terror in the towers. New York: Knopf. Lansky, B. (Selector). (1997). No more homework! No more tests! Kids favorite funny school poems. New York: Simon & Schuster. Leitner, I. (1993). The big lie: A true story. New York: Scholastic. Lear, E. (1998). Nonsense poems. Mineola, NY: Dover Publications. McNaugton, C. (1994). Captain Abdul’s pirate school. New York: Candlewick. Phelps, E. J. (1981). The maid of the north: Feminist folk tales from around the world. New York: Holt. Polacco, P. (1994). Pink and say. New York: Philomel. Pollinger, E. (Ed.). (2000). A treasury of Shakespeare’s verses. Helena, MT: Kingfisher. Prelutsky, J. (1990). The new kid on the block. New York: Greenwillow. Prelutsky, J., & Stevenson, J. (1996). A pizza the size of the sun: Poems. New York: Greenwillow. Rylant, C. (1990). A couple of kooks and other stories about love. New York: Orchard. Sachar, L. (1990). Sideways stories from Wayside School. New York: Random House. San Souci, R. D. (1992). The Samurai’s daughter. New York: Dial. Sewell, A. (1990). Black Beauty. New York: Farrar. Smith, R. K. (1999). Chocolate fever. New York: Yearling. Suess, Dr. (1997). Seuss-isms (Dr. Seuss book and cassette). New York: Random House. Suess, Dr. (1999). The mouse of Amherst. New York: Farrar. Whelan, G. (1999). Silver. New York: Random House. Whipple, K. (1999). Animals, animals. New York: Penguin Putnam. Yolen, J. (1992). Encounter. New York: Harcourt Brace.
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Curious George reads, writes and spells. (Grades 3–8). (1998). Boston, MA. Houghton Mifflin Interactives. Dr. Seuss reading games. (Ages 3–6). (1998). Cambridge, MA: The Learning Company. First Grade CD-ROM. (1997). Grand Haven, MI: School Zone. Jump start phonics. (Grades K–3). (1998). Torence, CA: Knowledge Adventure. Reader Rabbit personalized reading ages 4–6. (1997). Cambridge, MA: The Learning Company. Reader Rabbit reading ages 6–9. (1998). Cambridge, MA: The Learning Company. Reader Rabbit thinking adventure. (Ages 3–6). (1998). Cambridge, MA: The Learning Company. Reader Rabbit’s 1st grade. (1998). Cambridge, MA: The Learning Company. Reader Rabbit’s 2nd grade. (1998). Cambridge, MA: The Learning Company. Reading blaster ages 4–6. (1998). Torrance, CA: Havas/ Knowledge Adventure. Reading blaster ages 9–12. (1998). Torrance, CA: Havas/Knowledge Adventure. Reading blaster ages 6–9. (1999). Torrance, CA: Havas/ Knowledge Adventure. Reading Blaster for 1st grade, for 2nd grade, for 3rd grade, for 4th grade, for 5th grade. (1998). Torrance, CA: Havas/Knowledge Adventure. Reading Blaster for 1st grade: Fun activities that focus on essential math skills. (Ages 3–6). (1997). Torrance, CA: Knowledge Adventure. Schoolhouse Rock’s grammar rock. (Grades 3–5). (1999). Cambridge, MA: The Learning Company. Surprise for Horace. (Grades 3–6). (1999). New York: Simon & Schuster Interactive. Winnie the Pooh & Tigger too. (Ages 2–6). Animated story book. (1999). New York: Disney Interactive. Writing tutor. (Grades 3–6). (1998). New York: Simon & Schuster Interactive. Your notebook with help from Amelia. (Ages 7–10). (1998). Cambridge, MA: Mattel Interactive.
SOFTWARE FOR CHILDREN Arthur reading games. (Grades 3–5). (1998). Cambridge, MA: The Learning Company.
For additional creative activity resources, visit our Web site at www.EarlyChildEd.delmar.com.
CREATIVE SCIENCE
OBJECTIVES After studying this chapter, you should be able to: 1. State why science is important to the development of young children. 2. Name and describe three general kinds of science. 3. Discuss environmental education and its place in the early childhood program. 4. Discuss the discovery center and its importance in the early childhood program.
W
hen considering creative activities, it is not possible to skip the area of science. This is because true science is a highly creative activity.
There are twenty young children in a classroom. Each has just been given a small box wrapped in brightly colored gift paper. There is a big ribbon around each box. There are some objects inside each box. Each child is trying to find out what is in a box without taking off the ribbon and paper. Some children are shaking their gift boxes. Some are holding them up to their ears and listening very carefully. Others are squeezing them. A few are punching the boxes. The children are interested in finding out what is in their own wrapped-up box.
Is this a game? It may seem so, but it is not. It is a way in which children make creative discoveries. In many
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ways, it is also the way that scientists make creative discoveries. The little gift box is somewhat like the world in which the children live. The children study their own little “worlds” by shaking the box, smelling it, squeezing it, and looking at it. Each child makes some discoveries but cannot find out everything because the box cannot be unwrapped. The children may be able to make some good guesses after studying the boxes, however. Some things are open to the children’s discovery; some things are not. Scientists are faced with the same problems. They, too, study the world. They, too, can observe some things and only guess about others.
SCIENCE AND THE YOUNG CHILD There are two things, then, that both the child and the scientist do. They investigate (carefully study the world around them) to discover knowledge (find answers to questions or problems about that world). Science con-
CHAPTER 19 Creative Science
sists of two phases, or parts, that cannot be separated: investigation and knowledge.
IMPORTANCE OF SCIENCE In dealing with young children, it has been found that investigating is much more important than the knowledge that comes from investigating. Young children need a lot of action, not a lot of facts. This does not mean that understanding the world is put aside completely for young children. It just means that learning how to find answers is considered more important than the answers themselves. However, investigation and knowledge are a team. They cannot be completely separated from one another. To provide the experiences children need to develop scientific creativity, teachers must understand the importance of science. They must help children investigate in order to find answers to questions about the world. How can a teacher do this? There are three types of science experiences for young children: formal science, informal science, and incidental science. Each of these terms will be explained in detail later. Science is important to young children in a number of ways. First, when children are actively involved in investigating their world, they are learning by doing, the most effective way for young children to learn. Second, science activities help young children develop skills in using their senses. Use of these skills is not limited to science. These skills can be used every day throughout a person’s lifetime. Educators use the term transfer of learning to describe knowledge and skills that are gained in one
FIGURE 19–1
In science activities, children are free to explore, investigate, and experience the process of finding answers to questions about the world.
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area and used in many other areas. Science skills are particularly important because they are so highly transferable. Skills in seeing, feeling, and tasting are not limited to science even though they do represent the basic skills that are taught. Third, science allows children yet another chance to exercise their creative abilities. Science allows young children a chance to play with ideas and materials in an open environment where there is freedom to explore without fear of being “wrong.”
TYPES OF SCIENCE ACTIVITIES There are three types of science experiences for young children: formal, informal, and incidental.
FORMAL SCIENCE Formal science experiences are planned by the teacher to develop particular skills. An example would be planning for fine motor skill development by including pouring and measuring tools in the sand and water
FIGURE 19–2
Seeing how paint colors mix and merge is a science experience.
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real-life objects. A more specific discussion of the discovery center follows later in this chapter.
INCIDENTAL SCIENCE
FIGURE 19–3
Exploring the world with the sense of touch is part of the science process.
area. A teacher would plan to include a specific item, such as hanging a funnel low over the water table or attaching funnels to each end of a length of plastic tubing. These items would be included to serve a specific purpose—the development of fine motor skills. While many other learning experiences could occur due to their inclusion, they serve a specific developmental purpose.
Incidental science cannot be planned. It sometimes does not take place once a week or even once a month. Just what is incidental science? A city or town may be struck by a violent windstorm. Limbs of trees are knocked down; whole trees are uprooted. Great sheets of rain fall and streets become flooded. Children are scared by the great noise and wild lightning as the storm passes. Finally the storm is over. Is this the time for an incidental science experience? Of course it is! This is the time for children who are interested to learn many things. They can study the roots of trees; they may have the chance to observe growth rings. They are able to examine tree bark. They can observe what happens to water as it drains from a flooded street. Some might want to talk about their feelings as the lightning flashed and the thunder crashed. Some may wish to create a painting about the experience. A teacher cannot plan such an experience. A good teacher can, however, take advantage of such an opportunity by letting children explore and seek answers to questions. A teacher can encourage children to be more inquisitive and creative.
National science education standards. Recently, a set of national standards on science education have been formulated. Hundreds of people cooperated in developing the standards, including teachers, parents, school administrators, curriculum developers, college faculty and administrators, scientists, engineers, and government officials. These National Science Education Standards (National Research Council, 1996)
INFORMAL SCIENCE Unlike formal science, informal science calls for little or no teacher involvement. Children work on their own, at their own rate, and only when they feel like it. They select the kinds of activities that interest them. They spend as much or as little time working at a given activity as they desire. It is when this sort of openness is available to children that creative potential begins to develop. Most informal science activities occur in the discovery (science) center. The discovery center is an area in the early childhood classroom where children can participate in a variety of informal science activities that stimulate curiosity, exploration, and problem solving. In the discovery center young children develop many skills and concepts in their active exploration of such things as sand, water, magnets, and a multitude of other
FIGURE 19–4
Playing with blocks is a science activity with shape and volume.
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on evergreen boughs, the smell of the earth after a spring rain, the sound of a bird singing overhead, and the feel of a kitten’s fur or the moss on the side of a tree. For the young child, the world of nature is an especially appropriate avenue for a sense of aesthetics. An early snowfall in winter may provide a child with his first remembered experience of snow. Seeing a rainbow in the sky may be something a three-year-old has never experienced before. Watching a butterfly move from flower to flower may provide a visual feast that a child has not yet come to take for granted. Beauty is not just in what can be seen but is present, also, in what can be touched, felt, and listened to. Because the world of nature is so full of sights, sounds, and textures, it can serve as an incredibly rich and readily available resource for the development of aesthetics in young children. SCIENCE AND ART MATERIALS/ACTIVITIES
FIGURE 19–5
Sink and float experiments are always a popular science activity.
present an outline of what students in kindergarten through grade 12 need to know, understand, and be able to do to be “scientifically literate” at each grade level. For more indepth information on these standards, visit the Web site www.nap.edu. The Standards do not require a specific curriculum. Instead, they provide a broad outline of what science experiences students should have from kindergarten through grade 12. It is meant to be seen as a dynamic understanding that is always open to review and revision. A full listing of all these science teaching standards is not possible in this text due to their length and breadth. For our purposes, references will be made to specific activities and how they are appropriate for teaching certain science standards. The full text of the National Science Standards for teaching, professional development, and assessment are found in the book, National Science Education Standards (1996).
Children working with art materials make scientific observations, noting, for example, that water makes tempera paint thinner and that crayons become soft if left near the heat. Claire looks at her wet, drippy painting and says, “I wonder if I can blow it dry with my wind.” Drew finds that his clay figure left on the windowsill overnight has “gotten all hardened up” because it is no longer wet. Experimentation with art materials may lead to many other discoveries about cause and effect. Children notice that colors change as they are mixed and that the sponges used for printing absorb liquid. In contrast, other materials such as plastics are found to be nonabsorbent. Children using many materials observe differences between liquids and solids and see that other
ART AND SCIENCE AESTHETICS AND SCIENCE As we have learned earlier in this text, aesthetics means being sensitive to beauty in nature and art. Such sensitivity is fostered not by talking about beauty but by experiencing it in a variety of forms—the sign of snow
FIGURE 19–6
Working together to solve a problem is science at its best.
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FIGURE 19–7
Science is as basic as exploring the world of taste in trying new foods.
items such as wax crayons and oil paints resist water. In mixing paint from powder, children learn that some materials dissolve in water. The operations of simple machines can be understood through using tools such as scissors and hammers. The potential for developing science concepts is in the art materials and in the processes—ready to be discovered and applied. These experiences are consistent with the National Science Standard which states children should understand the properties of materials.
Animals link science and art. Young children’s natural love of animals is a good place to begin when planning art activities that encourage science experiences. Children are intrigued with the study of animals. Studying animals is consistent with the National Science Standard, which endorses the study of animals and their environments. Yet, animals provide more than a science experience for children, as they stimulate children’s artistic exploration. Young children, after touching, seeing, hearing, or smelling animals, will be stimulated to use art media for animal representations. Children with an emotional attachment to household or school pets will be additionally motivated to create visual images. Teachers create opportunities for guided learning about animals by providing art media and materials for children to use; engaging children in discussions about animals; and reading stories, showing pictures, and singing songs about animals. Sometimes after a trip to a zoo or farm, children will be stimulated to visually express their ideas about animals. After the class trip to the zoo, four-year-old Scott painted an elephant immediately upon returning to school. “Look, elephants are so funny because they
have a tail on both ends,” he announced. The teacher accepted his work but, realizing his confusion, clarified the differences between a trunk and a tail. This example shows how art can serve as a vehicle for direct learning by helping children express their understandings. At the same time, the art responses give the teacher clues for further planning. Learning about animals and pets can also take place as a result of spontaneous discovery and subsequent engagement in teacher-guided art activity. One day while his kindergarten class was out playing, Edmund found a grasshopper in the field. “Can we keep him?” he begged. By asking pointed questions and providing materials, the teacher guided the children’s thinking about how best to keep the insect. She offered a clear plastic cup into which the children decided to put some moist earth and grass. Edmund decided to cover the cup with a piece of paper held on with a rubber band. “I’ll make some air holes for air to go in,” he responded in answer to a question by the teacher. Although the insect was set free after one day, several children spent a good deal of time observing it. The teacher suggested that the magnifying glass could be used and guided the children by asking questions: “How does the grasshopper see?” “How are its eyes different from ours?” “Which legs seem to help him jump?” “How are they different from ours?” The detailed drawings of grasshoppers made the next day showed that the questions had motivated good observation. Edmund, whose personal attachment to the insect was the greatest, created five different representations of the insect. The following are some activities that expand further on the concept of animals/pets and art activities.
FIGURE 19–8
The playground is full of science activity possibilities.
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■ Encourage older children to draw, paint, or model representations of their pets doing something characteristic. ■ Suggest to children that they find pictures for collages showing animals that live in different places, move in various ways, or have different body coverings. ■ Provide opportunities for children to make their drawings, paintings, or cutout, pasted animals into booklets, murals, jigsaw puzzles, or puppets. ■ Offer a variety of boxes, trays, and found objects that children can use to make zoo cages or farm environments for toy animals or models they create. ■ Provide scraps of furry fabrics, yarns, and spotted and striped papers in different shapes for children to paste on a background and then add appendages for real or imaginary animals. ■ Make a variety of boxes, cardboard tubes, and other found objects available so children can create real or imaginary creatures. ■ Provide Styrofoam trays on which children can draw simple animal forms. Pierce the outline at regular intervals for the younger children to stitch. Older children can pierce through the trays themselves. ■ Transfer children’s animal drawings onto felt or burlap. Cut out two duplicate shapes, stitch together, and fill with beans, seeds, or shredded nylon hose for use as toys to toss. The following sections of this chapter provide ideas which may be used as the basis for planning both for-
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mal and informal science activities. These, of course, are meant to be starting points. Teachers will think of many more activities that suit their particular group interests and abilities.
THE DISCOVERY/ SCIENCE CENTER The discovery center should have things for the children to “do.” It is not a center where children just look at objects. Most teachers use a sand and water table in the discovery center. Here various materials—rice, beans, cornmeal, sawdust, mud—can be placed in the table for children to explore, measure, and pour. Sand and water activities are usually informal science and open-ended—that is, children can freely explore and manipulate materials with no definite or specified purpose to the activity. Another type of activity that usually is done in a discovery center is cooking. Recipes that children can prepare individually with a minimum of teacher supervision work well in the discovery center. There are many simple recipes that do not require cooking. If heating equipment is used, then an adult must be present to supervise and assist. The discovery center can house plants and animals for the children to observe. In addition to caring for them, the children can also record information about them, such as the amount of food given to the gerbil each day, the amount of water used for the plant, or the amount the plant has grown. (See Figure 19–9 for basic materials and supplies for the discovery center.)
COLLECTION OF OBJECTS (MANY OF WHICH THE CHILDREN CAN BRING—ROCKS, SHELLS, INSECTS, ETC.) Things to classify Magnifying glass Objects that float and sink (an old washtub works well to hold the water) Different kinds of soil Seeds to plant and classify Shapes Compass Simple machines Things to take apart and put together (old clocks, toys, motors, etc.) Objects to smell, taste, hear, touch, and see Filmstrips about science Collection of books FIGURE 19–9
Science kits Magnets (horseshoe, bar) Iron filings Prisms Tuning forks Aquarium Terrarium Vivarium Tactile board/box Plants Bug house Thermometer (Celsius) Kaleidoscope, scanoscope Hourglass, clocks, stopwatch Color paddles Flashlight
Discovery center—basic science materials and supplies.
Binoculars, telescope, periscope Rope, fibers Sponges Batteries Rubber tubing Animals/animal cages Stethoscope Food coloring Electric bell Dry/liquid measure containers Pendulum frame/bobs Scales (kitchen, balance, spring) Assorted balancing materials
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FIGURE 19–10
Discovering the properties of materials is a science activity.
“Please touch!” is the implied invitation of an interesting, ever-changing discovery center. Many teachers begin the school year with noble intentions of welcoming nature finds and other objects of science interest that children bring from home. Perhaps they initiate the project attractively with a bird’s nest propped in a small tree branch, some special rocks, and a recently shed snake skin. If the goal of a changing display is forgotten, the old things will lose their meaning. Since there is little appeal in a dusty nest or a tattered snake skin, it is better to retire the too-familiar objects. An easy way to keep the science display pertinent to ongoing activities is to try to put out indestructible materials being used in the discovery center activities. In preschool and kindergarten classrooms, and in elementary classrooms organized with learning centers, many science activities can be set up for independent use. Printed activity directions can be prepared to guide reading students. Tape-recorded guides can also be made to reduce the amount of direct supervision needed for small-group learning activities. Try to locate the discovery center in an area that both invites children’s participation yet controls distractions. Varying the location to fit the requirements of the activity builds interest. Science is very popular on the days when it takes place under a blanket-covered table! Careful planning of space, materials, and time for science will allow children to work as safely, independently, and successfully as possible.
FIGURE 19–11
Solving problems is basic to science.
While the activities in this text were planned for children three years of age and older, many of the activities can be adapted for younger preschool children. Twoyear-olds can enjoy simple sensory explorations such as feeling air as they move it with paper fans, spinning pinwheels, or swinging streamers on a breezy day; feeling rock textures and weights; touching ice, then touching the water it melts into; watching, then moving like a goldfish; tasting raw fruits and vegetables that have grown from plants; listening to loud and soft sounds; or gazing through transparent color paddles to see surroundings in a new light. Three-year-olds might be expected to engage in similar activities, taking in greater detail. They will be able to direct deeper attention to such things as exploring new dimensions with a magnifying glass. This group can enjoy some of the classifying experiences on a beginning level: sorting rocks from objects that are not rocks; things that float from those that do not float; and objects that are attracted by a magnet from objects that are not attracted. In formal science activities, younger children need clearly defined steps to gain from science activities. For instance, the seeds in a planting experience should be large and easy to see. A fine, dark lettuce seed is hard to distinguish from a bit of dirt, and a child may not be
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ENVIRONMENTAL EDUCATION A four-year-old child stands at the sink gazing at the water pouring down over his fingers. After a while, he reaches for the soap and slowly turns the lathery bar over and over as the water flows in a column from faucet to drain. Finally, he rinses away the suds and turns from the sink. The waste basket is filled with slightly crumpled towels. For him, as for most of us, endless streams of clean water and inexhaustible supplies of convenience products are taken for granted.
FIGURE 19–12
The discovery center is a place to try out ideas and “what if’s”.
sure of what he has actually done after planting it. A large, pale bean or pumpkin seed that is obviously different from the soil would be a better choice. Very young children can be very easily sidetracked in their reasoning by what they observe. To keep the objective of an experience evident to them, avoid using materials with irrelevant, distracting details. For instance, if size comparisons are to be made with measuring cups, use cups of the same color and shape to help children focus on size. Younger children will still be exploring materials with their mouths as well as with their fingers. Non-food materials must not be small enough to swallow. Such foods as peanuts and popcorn should not be given to children too young to chew them well. As a matter of course, adults should closely supervise any activity for very young children. Thoughtful questioning, careful listening to children’s replies, and comments from the teacher guide formal science activities in the discovery center. Openended questions such as “What happens when you…?” help children focus their thinking. A question such as “Why do you suppose…?” allows the children to share their reasoning. Many of us use the pattern of stating the answers we hear from children in the form of a question. We may say, “So the cup of snow melted into a smaller amount of water, right? Isn’t that what you found?” This style of questioning reduces children’s need to discover answers for themselves, or tells them that the main discovery is to find out what the teacher wants them to say. The discovery center is a place where many of the National Standards on Science can be taught. The most important aspect of the discovery center is that it is the place where children learn the creative thinking and problem-solving skills that are the foundation of the National Standards.
Ecologists have varied estimates on how much time is left before we will have wasted natural resources and polluted the Earth to the point where we can no longer survive. Some fear the damage is already irreversible. Others believe that there is still time—provided a profound change in attitude and behavior occurs. For adults, it means finding new values. For children, it means growing up with an understanding of the environment and a desire to conserve and protect those things essential for continued life on this planet. If children are to grow up in a world fit for human survival, the environment must be protected. Children should learn about nature from their earliest years. Nature is not the only part of a child’s environment, however. Home, school, and neighborhood are all parts of the child’s environment. In fact, everything that contributes to children’s experiences—good or bad—is part of their environment. Can a child learn creativity by learning about the environment? Can a child learn to improve the environment? Can young children learn about ecology? The answer to these questions is “yes.” Most of all, learning about these things can and must begin when a child is young. Their environment is one of the most important influences in the lives of children. They need an environment full of love. They need an environment that provides for their other basic needs: water, food, clean air. Children need an environment that provides for their safety, that helps them grow intellectually, that they can understand and control. In other words, children need to learn about their environment because their lives depend on that environment. This learning can be done in a very creative way. Activities that help children understand their environment can also help them become more creative thinkers. TYPES OF ENVIRONMENTS For the purposes of this chapter, the term environment refers to two things: man-made and natural
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things that children meet in their surroundings. Streets, houses, and schools are examples of man-made things in the environment. Trees, grass, and birds are parts of nature. Streetlights, cars, and buildings are man-made. Animals, clouds, and snow are natural things. Noise, light, and smells may be man-made or a part of nature. Children have many environments in which they live. Home is one. It may be a pleasant part of a child’s life or an unpleasant one. School is another environment that influences a child’s life, and it, too, may be an enjoyable experience or an unpleasant one. The neighborhood environment may be friendly and safe, or it may be hostile and dangerous. There are also many people who are part of a child’s environment: parents and neighbors, grocers and police officers, teachers and doctors. The people who make up the communities in which children live may make the children feel very good about their lives, or they may make the children feel unhappy. In these environments, there are also natural things and natural happenings: grass, trees, and flowers; rain, wind, and earthquakes; cats, rats, and beetles. All these things are part of a child’s environment. They all affect one another. Nature influences people; people influence nature.
ECOLOGY Ecology is the study of all elements of an environment, both living and nonliving, and the interrelation of these elements. The term comes from two Greek words: ecos meaning the “place to live” or “home,” and ology meaning “study of.” If we stop to consider our work with young children, we have probably touched on the subject of ecology frequently. For example, we notice the changes in the weather and discuss how these affect plants, birds, animals, and ourselves. When we plant seeds, hatch eggs, or care for a pet, we notice those things that are necessary for life and growth—nourishment, light, heat, nurturing. We like to examine and observe many organisms, but if we remove an insect from its home, we take care to restore it unharmed to its place after our observation is finished. Consequently, children learn that all life is precious, and no creature is more or less worthwhile than another. Those of us in early childhood education are also old hands at recycling materials and using up discards. Bits of paper left over from cutting shapes find their way into the collage box instead of the wastebasket. Empty boxes evolve into constructions, large and small. The blank sides of printed sheets of paper are used for drawing. Old newspapers are used for many art proj-
FIGURE 19–13
Science activities can be integrated throughout the curriculum.
ects. We all think twice before throwing anything away, and with a little encouragement children and their parents soon catch the saving habit. By our example, we can teach other ways of living a more ecologically sound lifestyle. For example, using durable dishes for food service rather than disposable dishes is an ecologically sound practice. When food and beverages for snacks and meals come in bottles or cans, these containers should be cleaned and the cans flattened and deposited at a recycling center. The use of personal cloth towels instead of paper towels is another good ecological practice. To encourage parents to recycle, you might consider establishing a collection site at your school, perhaps making it a cooperative project run by the parents. To truly grasp the concept of ecology, young children need opportunities to observe the total process rather than just a portion of it or only the finished product. Help children understand the total process when you explain the need for conservation. Describing how the paper-making process begins with the cutting down of a tree in the forest and ends with the paper products that we use every day helps children understand why it is important that they use only one paper towel to dry their hands. Incorporating the subject of ecology into the early childhood curriculum is endorsed in the National Science Education Standards. It is particularly relevant to the standard that states that children should develop an understanding of “types of resources” and “changes in environments” (National Research Council, 1996, p. 138). These early experiences in ecology will provide students an eventual understanding and appreciation for their part in protecting the environment.
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ENVIRONMENTAL ACTIVITIES IN SCHOOL A child first learns about caring for the environment by caring for his most immediate environment, that is, home, school, playgrounds, and parks. In the early childhood years, the teacher can use everyday experiences to point out to children the importance of caring for the environment. GETTING STARTED Getting young children outdoors to touch and experience nature is the starting point for learning about ecology and the environment. Unfortunately, a visit to many early childhood classrooms reveals the obvious: indoor time and space are given far more priority than outdoor. Many early childhood programs allot only a short daily period of outdoor time for children’s energy release and motor development. In the elementary grades, with state-mandated curriculum, it becomes even more difficult to find time to go outdoors to study and still cover all the required subjects and time requirements. Increased time for outdoor learning experience can be worked into the daily routine without difficulty, however, at least in good weather. Music, movement, and art acquire new dimensions outside; there is often plenty of space for construction with large blocks, boxes, tires, and boards; and snack and lunch times become picnics. Best of all, the outdoors provides a natural setting, complete with props for dramatic play. Middle and upper elementary age students enjoy reading and working on projects outdoors. Small reading groups, project work, and other academic activities can often be done just as effectively in the outdoors. Just
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think how much you, as a student, enjoy reading outside on a sunny, pleasant day! Even if the outdoor space is a concrete-covered square, children experience more of nature than they would inside. They know the warmth of the sun, the power of the wind, and the coolness of shade; they find plants that spring up in cracks and insects that crawl or fly; and they experience weather in its many forms. Obviously, the more natural an environment, the better. Slightly unkempt spaces are more interesting to investigate than blacktop or grassy lawns. In many areas, the edges of property lines where the mower does not reach hold the greatest promise for exploration. As stated in the National Standards on earth and science (Content Standard D), it is important that “all students develop an understanding of the properties of the earth” (National Research Council, 1996, p. 130). Young children are naturally interested in everything they see around them—soil, rocks, streams, rain, snow, clouds, and rainbows. During the first years of school, they should be encouraged to observe closely the objects and materials in their environment, note their properties, distinguish one from another, and develop their own explanations of how things become the way they are. TEACHER’S ROLE To be involved with nature, all you need are curiosity, joy of exploration, and a desire to discover firsthand the wonders of nature. Young children are naturals at this. Adults take a little longer. The teacher’s most important role is sharing enthusiasm, curiosity, and wonder. Adults can best do this by using their legs—stopping and getting down to see what has caught a child’s attention. Just the focusing of attention, perhaps with an expression of wonderment—“Look how pretty!” or “Great, you found something amazing!”—can encourage exploration and child-adult conversation. When we share our own ideas and feelings with a child, it encourages a child to explore his own feelings and perceptions. In middle and upper elementary grades, as children become more familiar with their world, the teacher guides them to observe changes, including cycle changes such as cycles of the moon, predictable trends such as growth and decay, and less consistent change, such as weather. ART AND ECOLOGY
FIGURE 19–14
Older children enjoy writing about their science experiments.
Art, music, dance, movement, and storytelling all provide opportunities for children to express their interests and discoveries developed through environmental education.
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FIGURE 19–15
Science activities allow children yet another chance to play with ideas and materials in an open environment where there is freedom to explore without fear of being “wrong.”
Setting up easels outdoors may inspire children to paint trees or their feelings about trees. Modeling clay outdoors may encourage children to create their own versions of natural objects in their outdoor play space. In movement activities, children may reflect the wiggle of caterpillars they observed on the playground. In music, the sounds of birds and crickets can be reflected with rhythm instruments or their own voices. They may dance the story of birds, flowers, and animals awakening to the springtime sun. Children’s books are also excellent for further expanding a child’s understanding and appreciation of the earth. (See lists at end of this chapter for suggestions.) Children’s science books are an excellent way to address the National Science Standard which states, “It is important for students to learn how to access information from books” (National Research Council, 1996, p. 45). The preceding are all general ideas on how to incorporate environmental education and ecology into your early childhood program. The following are some more specific activities on environmental education and ecology for children of all ages. ■ When someone in the classroom breaks a toy or piece of equipment, use the opportunity to talk with them about the consequences—that no one can play with the toy or use the equipment until it is repaired; that if it cannot be repaired no one can ever use it again. Have the children discuss ways of preventing this problem. ■ Help children (and by your own example) use materials—paint, paper, crayons, etc.—conservatively by saving scraps, storing unused paint, completing a picture before starting another, and keeping pencils and crayons off the floor.
■ Encourage children to help care for and clean classroom furniture. Provide cleanup materials for washing off tables and chairs and cleaning up spills. ■ Before looking at books, discuss with the children the importance of caring for them. Suggestions might include: washing hands, turning pages at the corner, and putting them in a special place away from pets and younger brothers and sisters. Remind them of their disappointment over a missing page in a story. ■ Snack time offers an opportunity for children to learn to conserve. The same applies to older children at lunch time. Persuade them to take only what they will eat, to eat all they take, and to refuse what they do not want. Each child should frequently have the opportunity to clean up after snack. ■ Before going on a class picnic, remind the children to pick up their trash in the park and let them discuss why this is important. ■ During the year encourage appreciation for the jobs of the school janitor and the garbage collector, etc. Have these helpers talk with the children about what they do and how the children can help make their job easier. ■ Avoid frightening children with threats about results of things they cannot control. (Example: What will happen when there is no clean air left?) Concentrate instead on the things they can do, such as keeping their own yards and school grounds neat, putting their own waste in proper receptacles, having a litter bag in the car, avoiding open burning, keeping pets clean, etc. PETS IN THE CLASSROOM The best way for young children to learn about animals is to have them in the classroom. Through observing and caring for pets in the classroom, children can ■ grow in understanding the needs of animals for food and water, as well as safe, clean housing and attention. ■ grow in appreciation for the beauty, variety, and functional physical characteristics of animals, for example, the protective shell on a turtle, the webbed feet on a duckling, and the sharp teeth and claws on a hamster. ■ grow in the compassion for and humane treatment of animals. ■ obtain inspiration for many language experiences and creative activities. Good classroom pets are (be sure no children have allergies to any of the pets) guinea pigs, rabbits, para-
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Selected Books and Activities for Children on Ecology and Environmental Themes Burningham, J. (1989). Hey, get off our train. New York: Crown Publishing Group. Endangered species. Collay, R. (1998). Stuartship. San Francisco, CA: Flower Press Books. Stuart, the main character learns about stewardship of the environment. dePaolo, R. F. (1988). The legend of the indian paintbrush. Boston: Little, Brown & Co. Native American reverence for nature. Estalella, R., & Socias, M. (1995). Our planet earth. Hauppauge, NY: Barron’s Educational Series. Information on the planet, how it was formed, its orbit, seasons and its place in the universe. Ets, M. H. (1963). Gilberto and the wind. New York: Puffin Books. The wind as a playmate. Facklam, M., & Facklam, P. (1994). The Big Bug Book. Boston: Little, Brown & Co. Insects and relative sizes in the animal kingdom and insect’s body parts. George, J. C. (1995). Everglades. New York: HarperCollins Children’s Books. Explores the Everglades environment. Henwood, S. (1992). The hidden jungle. New York: Straus & Giroux. Urban blight. Jenkins, S. (1995). Biggest, strongest, fastest. Boston: Houghton Mifflin/Tickner & Fields. Animals that vary greatly in size, speed, and strength. Katz, A. (1986). Naturewatch. Cambridge, MA: Perseus Publishing. Kitchen, B. (1993). Somewhere today. New York: Candlewick Press. Unusual happenings in nature. Lionni, L. (1987). Nicholas, where have you been? New York: Alfred A. Knopf. Nature provides food for all creatures. We must not disturb nature’s balance. McKissack, P. C. (1988). Mirandy and brother wind. New York: Alfred A. Knopf. Fun with the wind. Milord, S. (1989). The kid’s nature book. Charlotte, VT: Williamson Publishing Co. Needham, B. (1998). Ecology crafts for kids: 50 great ways to make friends with planet Earth. New York: Sterling Publishing Co., Inc. Petrash, C. (1992). Earthways: Simple environmental activities for young children. Beltsville, MD: Gryphon House. Rice, David L. (1997). Lifetimes. Nevada City, CA: Dawn Publications. Life spans of a variety of organisms. Romanova, N. (1985). Once there was a tree. New York: Dial Books for Young Readers. The tree’s place in ecology. Ryder, J. (1991). Hello, tree. New York: Simon & Schuster. A child’s relationship with a tree. Scott, M. (1995). The Young Oxford Book of Ecology. New York: Oxford University Press. Extensive information about animals and the major biodomes. Sheehan, K., &. Waidner, M. (1991). Earth child: Games, stories, activities, experiments and ideas about living lightly on planet earth. Shrub Oak, NY: Council Oak Books. Taylor, B. (1997). Earth explained. New York: Twenty-First Century Books, Inc. Forces that shape the Earth, weather, climates and land shapes. VanCleave, J. P. (1996). Ecology for every kid: Easy activities that make learning science fun. New York: John Wiley & Sons, Inc. Wells, R. E. (1995). What’s smaller than a pygmy shrew? Morton Grove, IL: Albert Whitman. Focuses on relative sizes and successively smaller sizes.
keets, white mice, hamsters, turtles, salamanders, gerbils, and goldfish. Good short-time (an hour or so) classroom pets are chicks, ducklings, puppies, a setting hen, kittens, and turkey poults. Children can help plan for the pet in advance by building the cage or preparing the terrarium or aquari-
um. The necessary food and water pans can be obtained, a food supply can be stored up, bedding can be prepared, and the handling of the pet can be discussed. Arrangements must be made for pet care during all holidays and vacation periods. A trip to a pet shop would be an excellent experience. Children should help with the care of the pet once it
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is obtained, but in the final analysis the teacher is responsible for seeing that the pet is treated well. Children should learn that pets are not toys, that they have feelings, and that when provoked, some of them defend themselves by biting. Children should not be allowed to handle pets excessively or without supervision. It is cruel to let them “wrap pets up in blankets and take them for walks in a doll buggy” or to allow any other activity foreign to the pet’s nature—and children should be helped to understand why. Neglected or mishandled pets give a negative message about responsibility and respect for life. Besides caring for pets, some other activities that might be inspired by the presence of pets in the classroom are the following: ■ Discuss the way pets feel, how they look, the sounds they make, the way they move, the purpose of various parts of the body, the need for food, their homes, reproduction habits, etc. ■ Write experience charts about their care and characteristics.
■ Tell original stories based on the pet. Tape these stories. ■ Draw, paint, or model the pet out of clay. ■ Dramatize the pets’ movements. ■ Take a trip to a pet shop or zoo. ■ Show pictures of animals. Have children tell which are tame and which are wild; which fly, hop, swim, etc.; and which live in water, on land, etc. ■ Tell animal stories, recite animal poems, and sing animal songs. ■ Older children can keep journals on their daily observations of the classroom pet. They can write stories with the pet as the main character.
OUTDOOR SCIENCE Many activities work well inside the school. Others are more suited to the area outside the school building. All of the following activity suggestions are consistent with the
Internet Ideas
As always, the Internet is there at our fingertips with great information on science activities to use with children. Here are some Web sites for sources of science information: Environmental Resources: Current and environmental education for K–12 includes teaching kits, student masters for classroom instruction, and more than a dozen hot links. Sponsored by the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association. www.TeachFree.com. Earth Science Week: One week in October is generally named Earth Science Week. The American Geologic Institute sponsors the event and serves as a clearinghouse for ideas, activities, special events, and support materials. For more information, visit www.earthsciweek.org or write to American Geologic Institute, 4220 King St., Alexandria, VA 22302. Space Day: Generally held in May, Space Day is the culminating event of the year-round Embrace Space educational initiative. Space Day encourages people around the globe to advance science, mathematics, and technology education, and to inspire future generations to continue the vision of our space pioneers. To learn more about the event and surrounding activities, visit www.spaceday.com or call (202) 833-8121. TerraServer: The TerraServer Web site, www.terraserver.com, provides unlimited access to the largest collection of satellite pictures of the Earth. Students and teachers can view areas of interest online, such as a Civil War battlefield, the Grand Canyon, or their own school building. Friends of Frogs: A Thousand Friends of Frogs Educational Activity Guide helps K–12 teachers integrate frog study into classroom curricula. The activities in the guide are aligned with the National Science Education Standards. A grant from the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and the Best Buy Children’s Foundation allows teachers in the U.S. to receive the guide free of charge. For more information, write to A Thousand Friends of Frogs, Hamline University Graduate School, 1536 Hewitt Ave., St. Paul, MN 55104; call (800) 888-2821; e-mail:
[email protected]; or visit www. enc.org/order/.
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National Science Education Standards. They apply most specifically to the Content Standard D on Earth Science. This standard is focused on the child’s developing an understanding of: properties of earth materials, objects in the sky, and changes in earth and sky.
BEGINNING ACTIVITIES Children can learn many different things about nature by being outdoors. However, many young children come to school with limited direct experiences with natural environments. They may, thus, have little understanding and great fear about what may happen to them in their encounters with nature. They may fear the darkness of a wooded area. They may think that all bugs and insects bite or sting. In their minds, an earthworm may be a poisonous snake. Such children need a gradual exposure to the world of nature. They need to become familiar with the trees and bushes in the schoolyard before they feel comfortable hiking in the woods. They need to observe and care for classroom animals before they are asked to welcome a caterpillar crawling across their hand or feel the woolly head of a lamb while on a field trip to a farm. Young children also need to realize that nature is all around them and that wildlife can be found anywhere.
FIGURE 19–16
In science activities, children are free to explore, investigate, and experience the process of finding answers to questions about the world.
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Some children seem to think that wildlife is somewhere very separate and far away from where they live. When asked where he might look to find wildlife, one little boy responded, “Africa.” For such children, one of the most meaningful lessons would focus on becoming aware of and comfortable with wildlife in their immediate environment. Ideas on how to begin with simple experiences include: ■ watching a bean seed sprout in the classroom before attempting to plant and tend a vegetable garden. ■ playing with snow in the texture table before making and crawling through tunnels of snow in the schoolyard. ■ watching birds and squirrels from a “window on nature” before suggesting that the children let a goat eat from their hands. ■ walking barefoot in the grass and sand before wading in a shallow stream (Wilson, 1995).
INTRODUCE NATURE-RELATED MATERIALS INTO THE DIFFERENT LEARNING CENTERS To the language-experience center, you can add books and pictures about nature. You can also add stuffed animals, animal puppets, and a variety of plant and animal flannel-board characters. Choose pictures and other representations of animals that are as realistic as possible versus those that have a cartoonlike appearance. To add nature-related materials to the manipulative center, you might choose simple puzzles with nature themes (animals, plants, etc.) and shells or pebbles of different colors and sizes. You might also add pinecones, small pieces of bark, dry wood, and other objects found in or near the yard. Similar items could be introduced into the block center as well. Materials from the outdoors also make wonderful additions to the art center. Dried leaves or small pieces of bark can be used for rubbings; seeds, shells, dry grasses, and feathers can be used for collages; and evergreen sprigs can be used as paintbrushes. To the music or listening center, you might add audiotapes of sounds from nature (bird songs, ocean sounds, rainforest noises, etc.). The dramatic play area, too, can be enriched with materials from the outdoors. Such materials include camping equipment, garden tools, and a picnic basket filled with a variety of picnic items.
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Scientists Tell All
Parents appear to be the biggest single positive factor in stimulating a childhood interest in science, according to a national survey of scientists released by Bayer Corporation and the National Science Foundation (NSF) (1999). “The message to parents is clear: You don’t have to be a science expert to help your children love the subject, or all learning for that matter,” said Mae C. Jemison, former astronaut and Bayer Corporation’s science literacy advocate for its Making Science Make Sense initiative. “You just need to encourage and support them as they pursue their interests.” The Bayer/NSF survey, the Bayer Facts of Science Education IV: Scientists on Science for the 21st Century, polled more than 1,400 members of the American Association for the Advancement of Science. The survey asked them, among other things, to look back on their own educational and career experiences and forecast trends in science literacy and scientific advances in the new millenium. More than half of the scientists said they first became interested in science during their elementary school years. Teachers were as influential as parents in sparking an interest in science. And, apart from formal science classes (82 percent), more than 80 percent of the scientists were influenced by science toys and equipment like chemistry sets and telescopes; 78 percent mentioned newspapers, magazines, and other media that covered science; 76 percent said science museum visits; and 69 percent felt that doing science experiments at home was influential. While all scientists reported informal science activities like playing with science toys and doing experiments at home, these activities were more important for male scientists (85 percent and 71 percent, respectively), than for female scientists (60 percent and 55 percent). “The fact that chemistry sets and microscopes had an effect on this many men makes perfect sense since they were probably given them as birthday presents,” explained Jemison. “What we need to ask ourselves is ‘What if more girls had access to and were encouraged to play with the same kinds of toys?’” Few scientists (25 percent) believe science is given enough emphasis in elementary school, though 74 percent think it should be given the same priority as reading, writing, and arithmetic. In addition, most scientists (85 percent) say that, if asked, they would spend time in the classroom helping students learn and teachers to teach science (Bayer Corporation & NSF).
GARDENING
BIRD FEEDERS
Common vegetables or flowers can be used. Seeds from fruits can be used or seedlings can be transplanted. In order for children to be creative gardeners, they should be given some choices: Where is the best place to plant seeds? What seeds should be planted? How far apart should they be planted? How much water do they need? When is the best time of the year to plant seeds? How much plant food or fertilizer is needed? In some ways—perhaps by tape recording—the children’s decisions about these things should be recorded. The children should be allowed to dig up plants to see what is happening as growth takes place. They should compare the growth of their plants with the growth of other children’s plants. Is there a difference? If there is, why? Older children can measure and record the growth of their seeds. they can compare and contrast the difference in growth with different amounts of sunlight.
Children can try to design bird feeders and build them in some way, or they can design the feeders and their parents can help them build the structures. Professionally built bird feeders can also be used. Children can try to discover what kinds of food attract various kinds of birds. Where is the best place to put a bird feeder? When is the best time of year to watch for birds? What time of day is best for bird watching at a feeder? Older children enjoy learning the names of the birds they see at the feeders. A book having colored illustrations of local birds can be a research source for this activity. They can keep records of which birds frequent certain feeders more than others, and speculate as to why this is the case. They can make graphs representing use of each feeder.
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CLOUD AND SKY WATCHING On a mild, partly sunny or cloudy day, children can learn much about their environment. They can lie on the ground and look up at the sky. They may see clouds of many shapes. Clouds may join together. The sun may disappear. It may get cool very suddenly. Birds may fly past. The children may have many different feelings as they lie still and watch the sky. Questions may arise. How do clouds seem to move? What do they look like? Are there many colors in the clouds? What do clouds look like just before a storm? Ask the children if they can make up a story about the clouds.
THE SOUNDS OF NATURE Walking in the woods or along a busy street can be made exciting by listening to the sounds. In the area next to a school, there are many sounds, too. When most of the children are indoors, one or two supervised children may want to go outside and just listen. They can take a cassette tape recorder along and record sounds, too. How many different sounds can they hear? Can they hear sounds made by birds? By animals? What do the leaves in the trees sound like? How do trees without leaves sound? What other sounds can be heard? How do noises made by cars differ from noises made by trucks? How does a person feel if there is too much noise?
FIGURE 19–17
The science curriculum at the middle and upper elementary level includes much small group work in problem-solving as well as in discovery.
create a place where an animal will choose to hide? How many natural hiding places can be found? Can children create hiding places for themselves? How do they feel when they are in their hiding places? If creativity is to be a part of activities such as these, decisions must be left to the children. Help from the teacher should not take the form of orders on what to do and what not to do. Advice is good; orders or carefully worded cookbook directions are not.
PLANTS IN THE ENVIRONMENT WHAT HAPPENS TO RAIN WATER? After a rainstorm, children can try to follow the paths taken by the water. Does all of the water flow into a sewer? Does some of it go into the ground? What happens in paved areas compared to grassy areas? What happens in dirt areas compared to grassy areas? Older children can learn about erosion and the effects of it in their own parks and playgrounds. This can easily be done after a heavy rain storm on the playground, or in a nearby park.
ANIMAL HIDING PLACES There may be a small hole in the ground or a sand hill in a crack on the playground. Thick grass or bushes serve as hiding places for animals. Under a large rock or near the foundation of the school there may be places for living things to hide. Children seek answers to many questions about animals. Why do animals need hiding places? Can a child
Probably the best way to observe the magnificent color and variety to be found in plants is to visit the places where they can be seen firsthand. The school grounds are the closest source. Children can hunt with you for the tallest tree, the one with the roughest bark, and the ones with needles, pinecones, or smooth leaves. They can hunt for plants that are growing in cracks in the sidewalk, for plants that have been eaten by insects, and for seeds, berries, galls, and roots that are exposed. Going beyond the schoolyard, trips can be made to the grocery store, supermarket, or farmers’ market to examine firsthand the potatoes, carrots, onions, eggplants, peas, cabbages, beets, and others. Vegetables represent great beauty in almost every color, shape, and size. If one of each kind could be brought back to the classroom, what a great opportunity for making comparisons they would offer! The same kind of observations can be made with fruits, or with flowers at a greenhouse, shrubs at a nursery, or plants in an arboretum or small neighborhood garden or truck farm.
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The plants can be looked at, cooked, taken apart, tasted, felt, counted, smelled, and weighed. They could be compared for color, texture, juiciness, shape, kind of leaf, aroma, size, and outside covering. They could be classified by the preceding characteristics as nuts, seeds, fruits, roots, leaves, stems, or vegetables, usually eaten raw or usually eaten cooked. If trips are not possible, each child could be asked to bring one fruit, vegetable, or other plant to school, or the teacher could supply the necessary items from the school budget. Some other suggestions follow. ■ Seed catalogs can be made available in the book center. ■ Seeds can be planted in pots by the children, or better yet, if a small garden plot is available, they can be planted and cared for there. Seed dealers can advise you on types that germinate quickly and what care they need. ■ Press a stick such as a tongue depressor down into the soil by the seed when it sprouts. Have each child mark the height of the sprout each week as it grows. The date and name of the plant can be put on the stick. ■ If the seeds in some pots don’t grow, dig them up to see what happened to them. ■ Help the children build a model greenhouse in the block center, using planks, large blocks, and packing boxes. They can put their plants in the greenhouse, as well as small trowels, watering cans, a bag of potting soil, and experience charts. ■ Plants can be started from seeds, cuttings, bulbs, roots, and tubers. Sweet potatoes, placed in glasses so that half the potato is under water, will produce roots and a luxuriant vine. (Try to find potatoes that aren’t bruised.) Bulbs of all kinds can be started. Geraniums and philodendron will produce roots from cuttings placed in water and can then be potted. Pussy willow twigs will grow roots in water. ■ Top gardens can be made by cutting off about an inch from the top of root vegetables, such as carrots. Place the cut end in water, and new leafy growth will shoot up. ■ Seeds of various kinds can be broken or cut open and studied to observe the small plant inside. Then have a plant tasting party. Examples: Seeds—sunflowers; roots—carrots; stems—celery; leaves—lettuce; flowers—cauliflower. ■ Seeds can be sprouted in such a way that their growth can be studied. A satisfactory way to do this is to cut up blotting paper or paper towels. Place a couple of layers in the bottom of a saucer, moistening the paper thoroughly. Drop six to ten radish seeds on the blotter. Smear a little Vaseline around
the edge of the saucer and cover with a piece of window glass. Tiny white root hairs will develop. ■ To see roots, stems, and leaves form, make a plastic bag greenhouse. Place folded paper towels inside a plastic, self-locking bag, then staple a line across about 2” from the bottom. Children fill bags to just below the line of staples with water, then drop in seeds. Seal the bags and display on a bulletin board to observe growth and development. Children will be able to see the roots, stems, and leaves form.
WATER PLAY EXPERIENCES No matter in what quantity or container water is available—in a pool or basin, in a puddle or cup—there are ways to take advantage of its learning potential! A wading pool or large basin lends itself to pouring, sprinkling, and mixing with water, while a cup or a puddle is ideal for floating tiny objects like foil boats or cork stoppers and for dissolving small quantities of sugar or drink mix. Whatever facilities can be provided, water is a marvelous science experience for young children. Organizing the play space for water play is a matter of selecting and arranging suitable containers and appropriate equipment. A laundry tub or plastic wading pool can be placed outside with a bench or table nearby to hold objects. If water play is to take place inside, the floor covering must be water repellent, and a shelf can be used for equipment storage; a plastic tablecloth can be a weatherproof carpet and a small card table can substitute for the shelf. Plastic aprons are ideal for clothing protection, but garbage bags with neck and armholes cut serve well, too. Objects that lead the child to science experiences might include the following: ■ sponges, corks, and light pieces of wood ■ funnels, strainers, colanders, plastic tubing, and siphons ■ spray containers, sprinkling cans, squeeze bottles, water guns, and rubber balls ■ plastic pitchers, margarine tubs, plastic cups, and yogurt containers ■ paintbrushes, paint rollers, and washcloths ■ spoons, dippers, plastic syringes, and plastic medicine droppers Occasionally, bubble bath, cornstarch, food coloring, or other mixables can be added to vary the appearance and physical properties of the water.
Safety tips. Always have an adult with the children in any water play situation. Never leave a child unattended. Use only unbreakable materials for water play
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activities. Never use glass, ceramic, porcelain, pottery, china, or other breakable materials. Always gather materials ahead of time, so you do not have to leave the children unsupervised. Develop water play rules with the children. Discuss and generate a list that is appropriate to your situation and revise them as needed. For example, you will need one set of rules when the children are playing at the water table and other rules for the outdoor pool. Some ideas for rules might include: ■ no splashing ■ keep the water in the containers ■ mop up spills immediately Specific activities for water play are included at the end of this chapter.
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take place in the school building and in the play area around the school. They also take place in the community in which the children live. Playing with water is another excellent way for young children to experience the natural environment.
KEY TERMS ecology environment formal science
incidental science informal science
LEARNING ACTIVITIES SCIENCE ACTIVITIES
SUMMARY In science activities children gain knowledge about the world around them by investigating that world. In science for young children, the emphasis is on investigating; the knowledge gained is less important. Science is important for children because it gives them all an opportunity to succeed. Formal science activities are planned by the teacher to develop particular skills, such as fine motor skills or awareness of the five senses. Informal science calls for little or no teacher involvement. Children work on their own and select the kind of activities that interest them. Informal science activities are less structured than formal science activities. Creativity is, therefore, better served by informal than by formal science. The National Science Education Standards present an outline of what students in grades K–12 need to know, understand, and be able to do to be “scientifically literate.” They provide a broad outline of what science experiences students should have from kindergarten through grade 12. Ecology is the study of all elements in the environment, both living and nonliving, and how these elements are interrelated. The term comes from two Greek words: “ecos” meaning “place to live” or “home,” and “ology” meaning “study of.” Children should begin to understand that all forces in the environment affect one another. Animals influence other animals. Plants affect animals. The climate has an effect on the environment. People can make the environment pleasant or very unpleasant. Children should have experiences with both the natural and man-made environments. These experiences
1. Take a field trip around your home or your school. Walk within one square block of home or school. Identify all of the plant life in this area. How many trees, plants, shrubs, and weeds can you observe? 2. Create a file of resources in the community that could be used to foster children’s concepts of their environment and the world around them. 3. Observe in a classroom where there is a living pet or pets. Record the children’s conversations as they watch the pet. Discuss how much they have learned about the animal from direct observation. What did their questions/conversations tell you about their experiences with the pet? Be specific in your answers. 4. Using a pail of water, create a puddle on a playground in order to observe children’s reactions as they approach it. Record the ways in which they play. 5. Plan a science table where children can be involved in making discoveries. List the objects you might include and describe the types of involvement each object might stimulate. Discuss your list with others in your class. 6. Visit a playground. List natural phenomena that seem to be of interest to children. As you observe children at play, describe behavior that indicates they do take an interest in these phenomena. Compare what interested you at the playground to what interested the children. Discuss the differences between your interests and those of the children.
MAKING OBSERVATIONS The ability to make many accurate observations is an important skill for both children and adults. The following activity is designed to test your ability to make
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observations and use all of your senses (hearing, smelling, tasting, touching, and seeing). A. Materials: A package of peppermint Life Savers, ruler, book of matches, small nail, sheet of sandpaper, glass of water, and waxed paper. B. How many observations can be made about a package of peppermint Life Savers? Can as many as 40 observations be made? Try doing this with one or two partners, if possible. Do it for each of the items listed in part A. C. List all the observations and write down the sense or senses that were used to make each observation (seeing, hearing, etc.).
FINDING OBJECTS FOR MAKING OBSERVATIONS A. Find ten objects that can be used for making observations. Each object should provide opportunities for an observer to use all five senses. For instance, an ice cube can be one of the objects. B. After finding the ten objects, try the following: 1. Decide what other materials would help in making observations of this thing. A ruler or magnifying glass may be needed. Make a list of these materials. 2. Collect all materials needed for observing each item and place them in small packages or boxes. 3. Choose a partner. Make observations of three of the partner’s objects using materials provided by the partner. Then let the partner try out your objects and materials.
DESCRIBING SHAPES A. Draw three shapes on a piece of paper. The shapes should not be something everyone recognizes. B. Choose a partner. Try to describe each of the shapes in such a way that the partner can draw pictures of them without seeing them. This is a difficult task.
FINDING MATERIALS A. Visit rummage sales, farm auctions, store sales, and secondhand stores. Look for materials that could be used by children in science activities. B. Make a list of things that can be bought, how much they cost, and where they can be purchased. Compare lists with two or more students. C. Prepare a master list of these materials.
MISCELLANEOUS ACTIVITIES A. Spend three hours of one day with a group of fellow students, but do not speak to any of them. They may not speak either. Try to do something with two or more people without communicating in any way: no words, hand signs, or head nodding. B. Find an area around the school or the neighborhood that needs cleaning up. Organize a cleanup committee. Take pictures before, during, and after the cleanup. NATURE An area in the community should be found where nature can be studied. Try any or all of the following activities: A. In a 15-minute period of time, how many birds can be seen? How many different kinds of birds are observed? B. In an area three feet by three feet and six inches deep, how many living things can be found? C. How many living things can be found under a small rock? D. In a five-minute period of time, how many different sounds can be heard? E. How many different kinds of plants can be found in an area 50 by 100 feet?
ACTIVITIES FOR CHILDREN WATER PLAY ACTIVITIES In all of the following activities, be sure that an adult is always present when children are playing with water. SPRAY ART—MURAL MAKING Collect spray mist bottles with trigger handles, squeeze bottles of food coloring, large white butcher block paper or a white sheet, scissors, tape, a large towel or plastic mat, and water. Spread the towel or plastic mat on the floor. Cut a large square of butcher block paper. Tape the paper or the sheet to the table top or outside to a wall or fence. Fill the spray bottles with water. Squeeze 10–15 drops of food coloring into the spray bottles. Secure the top of the spray bottles. Prepare several spray bottles of water with different colors of food coloring mixture. The child shakes the bottle, near the paper or sheet. Holding the spray bottle, the child sprays the colored
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water onto the paper to make a mural. When the children are finished spraying the colored water mural, the teacher removes the tape and dries the mural. MISCELLANEOUS WATER PLAY IDEAS ■ Straws are great for blowing bubbles during water play. To prevent children from sucking up the soapy water by mistake, poke holes near the tops of the straws first. ■ Make soap bubbles last longer by adding a few tablespoons of sugar to the soapy water. ■ Add variety to the water play area by adding these items and activities: – Fill the water table with ice cubes and provide shakers of salt and lengths of string. – Punch a row of holes from the bottom to the top of a 2-liter plastic soda bottle. – Put salt in the water, then try to float and sink objects. – Put snow in place of water. – Put a large chunk of ice in the water table. Provide safety goggles, rubber mallets, and rock salt. – Provide lengths of plastic pipe, whole and also in sections cut in half lengthwise, to use as canals and ramps for rolling marbles, small toy cars, or blocks. Use the piping dry, then wet, and compare results. – Punch holes in the bottom of milk cartons to make sieves. Use a variety of sizes of cartons and vary the size of the holes. – Add foam or rubber alphabet letters and small fishnets to the play center. Name the letter you catch or catch the letters that make up your name. – Experiment with varying the amounts of water and air inside zippered sandwich storage bags in floating experiments. – Give children heavy aluminum foil to shape into boats. – Challenge children to create a boat from found objects, then move it from one end of the water to the other without using their hands. – Challenge children to make a bridge over a portion of the water, using scrap materials.
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Fill the plastic pump bottle with water. The child colors the sidewalk with colored chalk. The child presses the pump top and lets the water splatter over the chalk on the sidewalk, making a water design on the chalk. Use different-sized pump bottles, comparing the different water marks made by each bottle. SPRAY ART—DESIGNER T-SHIRT Assemble these materials: Spray mist bottle with trigger handle, food coloring, large white butcher block paper, scissors, tape, large towel or plastic mat, T-shirt. Spread the towel or plastic mat outdoors, on the floor, or under a table. Place another towel or mat on the table. Tape a white T-shirt to the towel, mat, or to the towel on the table. Fill the plastic squeeze spray bottle with water. Squeeze 10–15 drops of food coloring into the plastic spray bottle and secure the top. Prepare several plastic spray bottles of water with different colors of food coloring. Shake the bottles. The child shakes the bottle. Standing next to the table with the spray gun bottle in one hand, the child sprays the colored water onto the T-shirt. Add more food coloring if the color is too light. If you want to be sure of permanent color, use liquid dye instead of food coloring and water. When the child is finished with the design, remove the tape and hang the T-shirt to dry. ROCKY ROAD TO KNOWLEDGE Rocks, stones, and pebbles are not only interesting, abundant, and free for the taking, but they also provide a rich source of knowledge about matter and are a means of sharpening powers of observation, description, and classification. A. Some of the things that can be done with rocks are: 1. sorting by size, color, texture, and surface. 2. identifying them by name. 3. taking a walk to see the many ways stone is used in buildings. 4. looking for fossils in limestone. 5. taking a field trip to hunt for interesting rocks. B. Equipment that is useful in carrying out such a study includes scales of various types, magnifying glasses, and boxes (or egg cartons) for sorting. SUN PRINTS
PUMP BOTTLE AND CHALK DESIGNS Assemble these items: colored chalk, plastic pump bottles of different sizes.
Obtain large sheets of blueprint paper. The child lies in a sunny spot on the paper for a few minutes. When he or she gets up, a body print will be left. The print may be colored or decorated if the child prefers.
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Variation: If the child can’t lie still long enough, use objects instead for the sun prints.
EXPLORE THE POWERS OF THE SUN Explore the power of sunlight—what it will pass through and what blocks it. Using different materials (clear glass, soda bottles of various colors, thin paper, construction paper), sort the items as to those sunlight can pass through and those it will not pass through. Talk about shadows, too.
INSECT CAGE Cut openings in small plastic or cardboard cartons. Cover the opening with fine netting, taping it into place. Fine netting can also be taped over the top of any plastic container to provide a temporary home for insects. The children can observe insect life more easily if the insect cages are made from clear plastic containers. A clean, empty, half-gallon milk carton also makes a good insect-viewer. Simply cut rectangular holes on two sides of the milk carton. Slip a nylon stocking over the carton and fasten at the top with a rubber band. Insects can be held inside for temporary viewing. OBSERVING WORMS Make an earthworm observatory with a large glass jar (a large peanut butter jar is good), worms, garden soil, and black construction paper. Place a layer of small rocks or sand in the bottom of the jar so water will drain. Place 2 inches of moist soil and sand in the jar. Have children pick up worms and place them in the jar. Cover them with more soil. Keep the soil moist. Seal, using a lid with holes punched in it. Wrap black construction paper around the jar. After 24 hours, remove the paper. The children should be able to see the worms tunneling through the soil. Encourage children to talk about what interests them about worms. GROW IT AGAIN! Pineapple. Cut off the top and trim three rows of bottom leaves. Let dry for three days. Plant one inch deep in soil. Keep moist and sunny. Carrot. Cut off the top and trim off all leaves. Place in a layer of pebbles in a flat dish. Keep well watered. Onion. Find an onion that is already sprouted. Plant in soil. Keep watered and sunny.
SKY GAZER Save the cardboard tubes from paper towel rolls. Punch two holes at one end of each tube and loop an 18-inch piece of yarn through them (make one for each child). Hang your telescope around your neck. Go outside on a nice, warm day and lie down on the grass. Using your telescope, look up into the sky. What do you see? Look some more. What else do you see? Tell each other.
BUILD A BIRD FEEDER Treat a bird to lunch. Cut windows and doors into an empty milk carton or plastic soda bottle. Decorate it in such a way that birds will want to visit. Paste on colored pictures of big juicy worms! Glue on twigs, leaves, seeds, and other outdoor things with nontoxic glue. (Keep decorations to a minimum so as not to frighten the birds.) Tie it to a tree branch and fill it with birdseed. Watch and see how many birds and what kinds of birds use the feeder. Pinecones can be used for another type of bird feeder. Spread sugarless peanut butter on pinecones and roll them in wild birdseed. Birds love peanut butter and it provides protein and oil for healthy feathers and bodies. Fasten the pinecones to the branches of a tree using floral wire.
THINKING ABOUT CONSERVATION Get your students to become active in conservation at home and at school. Have them brainstorm ideas on how they can conserve. Here are some suggestions to help get them started. ■ Use only what you need. For example, use enough shampoo to clean your hair, but not all the extra that might make piles of lather. Take your lunch to school in a re-usable (or recycled) bag. ■ Think before you buy. Refuse to buy products that have a lot of packaging. Think how much you will use something before you buy it. ■ Urge your parents to use as few chemicals as possible, especially outdoors. ■ Watch wildlife from a distance. Do not approach or touch wild animals. Never feed them. They can get sick from eating human food. ■ Do not pick wildflowers. ■ Volunteer at your local zoo, museum, animal refuge, or environmental group. ■ Volunteer to clean up the highway or stream.
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ACTIVITIES FOR OLDER CHILDREN (GRADES 4–5) MAKE A “GREEN MAP” Send students on an Internet exploration to make their own “earth friendly” maps. At www.greenmap.com, students will learn that a Green Map is a map of a neighborhood, town, or city that focuses on “green,” or ecologically-oriented sites. Green Maps also mark “toxic hot spots” and other polluted areas that need help. On this interactive Web site, students can view Green Maps of cities around the world such as New York and Copenhagen. Step-by-step instructions guide students in designing their own Green Maps, and a large collection of map icons is provided to mark sites such as gardens, recycling centers, and wildlife areas. Questions on the site ask students to draw conclusions about their mapmaking research and work.
RAISED DOTS Introduce Louis Braille. Mark and label his birthday, January 4th, on the classroom calendar. Give the children copies of a few facts about Braille and of his dot system. Have the children read and discuss the facts and system. Ask why the system was needed, how Braille decided on creating a system, etc. Bring in a Braille book for the children to examine and discuss.
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Then lead them in a discussion of Van Gogh’s Sunflowers, especially their texture. Guide them to describe the mood qualities in Van Gogh’s painting. For example, the flowers are on the ground, no longer growing. Many of the seeds are gone, the stems are withered, the petals look shriveled and dry. Encourage other observations. Contrast and compare the two works, using the scientific analogy of a life cycle. Emphasize the concept that artists in many times and places have created artworks about the same subject, such as flowers. Each artist creates his or her own picture in a special way (different, original style). Ask students to express opinions about which of these artworks they like to see, and discuss reasons for their preferences. Stress that students may like more than one kind or art and that everyone may not like the work. FOREST KNOWLEDGE AND PRESERVATION Have a group of students design a “Protect the Forest Club” poster that provides information about forests, the animals, plants, and trees that live there, and the importance to the environment of keeping our forests healthy. Each student should contribute at least one idea or drawing to the poster. After the poster is complete, the group can hang it in the classroom and begin to plan the first meeting of the club. ENDANGERED ANIMALS
Language Arts. ARTISTS’ FLOWERS Have art prints of flowers from at least two artists. Two good artists for this would be Van Gogh’s Sunflowers and Georgia O’Keeffe’s Poppy. Other floral works by these artists are also good, for example, Van Gogh’s Irises. Of course, you may find many other artists whose paintings of flowers are appropriate for this activity. The purpose of this activity is to see how two artists express their flowers in two contrasting ways. Each artist has his or her own vision of representing them in art. Be sure to use art terms such as color, line, and shape when discussing these works. Explain that the artist Georgia O’Keeffe created many paintings of flowers. She once said that she made the flowers large so people would really see the beauty of the colors, shapes, and edges. Explain that the poppy flower, like other flowers in O’Keeffe’s paintings, seems to glow with life and energy. It is a closeup view of a flower in full bloom. Encourage students to make other observations about the painting.
■ Students write a story in which the main character is an endangered animal who is trying to teach his family why the species is endangered. ■ Students debate in a small group about the issue of wild animals being captured and put in a zoo. Should they or shouldn’t they? ■ Students write a short speech (2-4 minutes) about an animal topic that they feel strongly about. Topics might include how to take care of pets, endangered animals, or the similarities between animals and humans. ■ Students write a story in which they become an endangered animal lost in a large city. They write about how they feel being lost and endangered and what they would do in this situation. ■ Students choose an animal to observe for fifteen minutes. The time might be broken down into smaller segments if the animal is hard to observe. They write their observations and what they learned about the animal.
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ART EXPERIENCES ■ Students make a clay model of an endangered carnivore and write a short paragraph telling key facts about the animal. ■ In pairs, students design an advertisement that could be published in a newspaper to promote the preservation of an endangered animals. ■ Students build a three-dimensional habitat model for an animal of their choice.
MOVEMENT ■ Students pretend that everyone is a different animal, then role-play how each animal might react to meeting the other. ■ Students perform a skit in which all of the characters are animals—some endangered and some not. The animals discuss the problems with being endangered. ■ Students invent a game called the Animal Game.
Discuss the differences in water remaining in each jar.
SCIENCE: A DIFFERENT VIEW OF THINGS Discuss the importance of imagination and observation in science. (Imagining that people might walk on the moon was the first and most important step in discovering how it might be done.) Have the students collect unusual rocks, shells, dried seed pods, and other small objects. Glue several objects to the bottom of a plastic photo cube. Challenge the students to draw the objects inside the cube from each of the six points they can see when looking straight through one side of the cube. Provide square paper for the drawings. Have the students create drawings from unusual or imagined vantage points, such as being in a hot air balloon, flying in an airplane, being inside of a mine or a cave, looking at things under water, or looking out the window of a rocket while it is being launched or is nearing a planet.
MUSIC ■ In a group, students make up an animal song and record it on a tape recorder. ■ Students write a poem or story about an animal and add animal sounds as they read it to other students.
HOW DOES WATER DISAPPEAR? This is an initial experience with evaporation. You will need a sponge, chalkboard, water, and a heavy piece of cardboard.
INSECTS Contrast the way an artist and a scientist might study insects. Point out that scientists and artists are both very keen observers of nature. The artist is more likely to study insects to discover the beauty or the special lines, shapes, colors, etc. The scientist may look for the same features, but is more likely to want to explain their purpose—protection, reproduction, food gathering, etc. Encourage them to draw their own versions of insects, using either the artistic or scientific perspective.
1. Moisten the sponge. 2. Make a wide, damp streak on the blackboard.
AESTHETIC AWARENESS
3. Observe for several minutes. What happened?
Discuss texture as a property that we experience by sight as well as touch. Stress that scientists who wish to describe and classify living and non-living things carefully observe and often measure subtle differences in textures (as well as other properties) of objects. Provide magnifying glasses and a variety of textured materials for students to observe, touch, and describe. For example, fine white sand, salt, sugar, flour, baby powder, or varieties of rocks or paper.
4. Make two streaks about one yard apart. 5. Use the cardboard to fan one of the streaks. 6. Compare the time it took for each to disappear. Students should learn from this activity that water is absorbed into the air by a process called evaporation. Increasing the amount of air moving over the water (fanning) increases the rate of evaporation. The amount of moisture the air already contains (humidity) will be a factor. Hints: If the sponge is just moist the results will be faster than if it is soaking wet. An alternate activity is to put a small amount of water ( 21 inch) in two small jars. Seal the lid of one and leave the other open. Observe for 24 hours.
SCIENCE BOOKS Have students look through their science book or other books from the library to find information on nebulae
CHAPTER 19 Creative Science
and other bodies in space. Have students share some of their findings, including the illustrations. Then have students create a watercolor based on the theme of exploring space. SCIENCE OUTDOORS Take students outside to study the branching structures of trees. Guide them to see relationships between the branching structures in a leaf, among twigs that support leaves, larger branches, and the trunk. Have them identify other natural forms in which linear qualities are evident such as hair and fur, or shells with radial or spiraling edges. Have them draw representations of their observations. SOIL If you live in a region that has colorful clay soil, obtain samples that can be placed in clear plastic containers. Add water to each container so that the soil settles. Explain that some of the paint colors that artists use for neutral colors actually come from colored minerals (pigments in the earth). The finely ground minerals are mixed with oil or other liquids to create paint. Students can mix diluted white glue with the samples to create paint. Use paint on thick cardboard.
CHAPTER REVIEW 1. What are the two phases of science? Which phase is more important for young children? 2. Choose the answer that best completes each statement about science. a. The teacher is most involved in planning for (a) formal science. (b) informal science. (c) incidental science. b. The teacher cannot plan for (a) formal science. (b) informal science. (c) incidental science. c. Observing skills are taught to children in (a) formal science. (b) informal science. (c) incidental science. d. Free investigation is used most often in (a) formal science. (b) informal science. (c) incidental science. 3. Define ecology and discuss its place in the early childhood program.
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4. Discuss the discovery center and its importance in the early childhood program.
REFERENCES Bayer Corporation & National Science Foundation (NSF). (1999). The Bayer facts of science education IV: Scientists on science for the 21st century. Pittsburgh, PA: Author. National Research Council. (1996). National Science Education Standards. Washington, DC: National Academy Press. National Science Resource Center. (1996). Science for all children: A guide to improving elementary science education in your district. Washington, DC: National Academy Press. Wilson, R. A. (1995, September). Nature and Young children: A natural connection. Young Children, 4–11.
ADDITIONAL READINGS American Association for Advancement of Science. (1993). Benchmarks for science literacy, project 2061. New York: Oxford Press. Bozansky, M. K. (1997). The human body: A science workbook for ages 4–6. Los Angeles: Lowell House. Chaille, C. (1997). The young child as a scientist: A constructivist approach to early childhood science education. Reading, MA: Addison-Wesley. Ebenezer, J. V., & Lau, E. (1998). Science on the Internet: A resource for K–12. Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice-Hall. Forte, I. (1999). Grades K–1 science: Inventive exercises to sharpen skills and raise achievement. Nashville, TN: Incentive Publications. Forte, I. (1999). Grades 4–5 science: Inventive exercises to sharpen skills and raise achievement. Nashville, TN: Incentive Publications. Forte, I., & Schurr, S. (1999). The all new science mindstretchers: Interdisciplinary units to teach science concepts and strengthen thinking skills. Nashville, TN: Incentive Publications. Gallas, K. (1995). Talking their way into science: Hearing children’s questions and theories, responding with curriculum. New York: Teacher’s College Press. Goldish, M. (1999). 101 science poems & songs for young learners: With hands-on activities. New York: Scholastic. Herman, M. L., Passineau, J. F., Schimpf, A. L., & Treuer, P. (1991). Teaching kids to love the earth. Duluth, MN: Pfeifer-Hamilton. Holt, B. G. (1999). Science with young children. Washington, DC: NAYC. Hutchinson, D. (1998). Growing up green: Education for ecological renewal. New York: Teacher’s College Press. Kessler, J. (1997). The best of wonderscience: Elementary science activities. Albany, NY: Delmar.
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Lasky, L., & Mukerji, R. (1980). Art: Basic for young children. Washington, DC: NAEYC. Lowery, L. F. (1999). The everyday sciences sourcebook: Ideas for teaching in the elementary and middle schools. White Plains, NY: Dale Seymour. Martin, R. E. (Ed.). (1996). Teaching science for all children. Needham Heights, MA: Allyn & Bacon. Moody Video Collections. (1998). Treasure hunt, Flying on the wings of beauty, The clown-faced carpenter, The long journey, and The wonder of you (Science videos). Moody Video, 820 N. LaSalle Blvd, Chicago, IL 60610. Needham, B. (1998). Ecology Crafts for Kids; 50 great ways to make friends with planet Earth. Somerset, MA: Sterling. Schecter, D. (1997). Science Art: Projects and activities that teach science concepts. New York: Scholastic. Science & Children. (1998, Sept.). In the news. Science & Children, 36(1), 19. Sherwood, E. (1991). More mudpies to magnets: Science for young children. Beltsville, MD: Gryphon House. Tchudi, S. (1993). The astonishing curriculum: Integrating science and humanities through language. Urbana, IL: National Council of Teachers of English. Wilson, R. A. (1995, Sept.). Nature and young children: A natural connection. Young Children, 4–11.
BOOKS FOR CHILDREN PRESCHOOL Allen, M. (1998). Dr. Maggie’s play and discover science. Cypress, CA: Creative Teaching Press. Bailer, D. (1998). Humpback goes north (Book and tape). Provo, UT: Soundprints. Banner, A. (1991). Ant and Bee and the rainbow. Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann. Bourgeois, P. (1999). Franklin and the thunderstorm. Topeka, KS: Other Format/Econo-Clad Books. Braun, T. (1999). My goose Betsy. New York: Candlewick. Brenner, B. (2000). The earth is painted green. New York: Scholastic. Chorao, K. (1998). Little farm by the sea. New York: Holt. Collard, S. B., III. (1998). Animal dads. Boston: Houghton Mifflin. Cooper, E. (1999). Building. New York: Greenwillow. Couper, H., & Henbest, N. (1999). Is anybody out there? New York: DK Publishing. Doyle, M. (1997). Jody’s beans. New York: Candlewick. Ets, M. H. (1963). Gilberto and the wind. New York: Puffin Books. Facklam, M., & Facklam, P. (1994). The Big Bug Book. Boston: Little, Brown & Co. Feiffer, J. (1998). Lost my bear. New York: Morrow Junior Books. Fleming, C. (1999). When Agnes caws. New York: Atheneum.
Floca, B. (1999). Five trucks. New York: DK Publishers. Greenberg, D. T. (1997). Bugs! Boston: Little Brown. Hayes, S. (1993). This is the bear. New York: Candlewick. Henderson, K. (1999). The storm. New York: Candlewick. Hest, A. (1997). You’re the boss, baby duck. New York: Candlewick. Jenkins, S. (1995). Biggest, strongest, fastest. Boston: Houghton Mifflin/Ticknor & Fields. Jonas, A. (1999). Bird talk. New York: Greenwillow. Katz, A. (1986). Naturewatch. Cambridge, MA: Perseus Publishing. Kitchen, B. (1993). Somewhere today. New York: Candlewick Press. Lally, S. (1999). A hive for the honeybee. New York: Scholastic. Lionni, L. (1987). Nicholas, where have you been? New York: Alfred A. Knopf. Lyon, G. E. (1998). A traveling cat. New York: Orchard. Marston, H. I. (1998). Wings in the water: The story of a manta ray (Book & tape). Norwalk, CT: Trudy Corporation and Washington, DC: Smithsonian Institute. McKissack, P. C. (1988). Mirandy and brother wind. New York: Alfred A. Knopf. McPhail, D. (1998). The puddle. New York: Farrar, Straus, & Giroux. Meddaugh, S. (1998). Martha walks the dog. Boston: Houghton Mifflin. Miller, R. (1999). I went to the bay. Buffalo, NY: Kids Can Press. Petrash, C. (1992). Earthways: Simple environmental activities for young children. Beltsville, MD; Gryphon House. Preller, J. (1998). Cardinal and sunflower. New York: HarperCollins. Radcliff, T. (1998). Bashi, elephant baby. New York: Viking/Penguin. Richardson, B. (1998). Gardening with children. Newtown, CT: Taunton. Ripley, C., & Ritchie, S. (1999). A question and answer storybook: Why does popcorn pop? Buffalo, NY: Firefly Books. Robbins, K. (1999). Trucks: Giants of the highway. New York: Atheneum. Romanova, N. (1985). Once there was a tree. New York: Dial Books for Young Readers. Ryder, J. (1991). Hello, tree. New York: Simon & Schuster. Simmons, J. (1999). Daisy and the egg. Boston: Little Brown. Simon, F. (1998). Where are you? Atlanta: Peachtree Publishers, Ltd. Sis, P. (1999). Trucks, trucks, trucks. New York: Greenwillow. Swinburne, S. (1999). Guess whose shadow? Honesdale, PA: Boyds Mills Press. Taylor, B. (1998). Animal hide and seek. New York: DK Publishing.
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Wasinger, M. M., & Ketchersid, S. (2000). Watch me grow: Chick. New York: Putnam. Wilson-Max, K. (1995). Little red plane. New York: Scholastic. Wilson-Max, K. (1996). Big yellow taxi. New York: Scholastic. World Wildlife Fund. (1998). Animals 123’s. San Rafael, CA: Cedco Publishing. World Wildlife Fund. (1998). Bugs. San Rafael, CA: Cedco Publishing Co.
KINDERGARTEN–GRADE 3 Arnold, C. (1999). Sleepytime for zoo animals. Minneapolis, MN: Carolrhoda. Bonners, S. (1999). Why does the cat do that? New York: Holt. Branley, F. M. (1998). Let’s-read-and-find-out science: Day light, night light. New York: HarperCollins. Branley, F. M. (1998). Let’s-read-and-find-out science: Floating in space. New York: HarperCollins. Bruningham, J. (1989). Hey, get off our train. New York: Crown Publishing Group. Bull, S. (1998). Through Tsavo: A story of an East African savannah. Norwalk, CT: Soundprints. Butler, P. (1998). Pawprints in time. New York: Penguin Putnam. Carr, J. (1999). Swine divine. New York: Holiday House. Cherry, L. (1998). The Shaman’s apprentice: A tale of the Amazon Rain Forest. New York: Gulliver Green Books. Choi, Y. (1999). New cat. New York: Foster/Farrar. Cole, H. (1999). I took a walk. New York: Greenwillow. Cole, H. (1999). The Magic School Bus explores the senses. New York: Scholastic. Collay, R., & Dubrow, J. (1998). Stuartship. Eugene, OR: Flower Press. Cowley, J. (1999). Red-eyed tree frog. New York: Scholastic. Crewe, S. (1997). Life Cycles: The salmon, The bear, The frog, The swallow, The butterfly, The whale, The snake (separate titles). Chatham, NJ: Steck-Vaughn. dePaolo, R. F. (1988). The legend of the Indian paintbrush. Boston: Little Brown & Co. Dunphy, M. (1999). Here is the coral reef. New York: Hyperion. Estallella, R. (1994). Our planet: Earth. Hauppauge, NY: Barron’s Educational Series. Facklam, M. (1994). The big bug book. Boston: Little Brown. Fisher, L. E. (1999). Alexander Graham Bell. New York: Atheneum. Gentle, V., & Perry, J. (1998). Great American horses series. Books in the series include: Appaloosas, Morgans, Mustangs, Paints, Pintos, Palominos and Quarter Horses. Milwaukee, WI: Gareth Stevens, Inc. George, L. B. (1999). Around the world: Who’s been here? New York: Greenwillow. Gibbons, G. (1999). Exploring the deep, dark sea. Boston: Little Brown. Gibbons, G. (1999). Penguins! New York: Holiday House.
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Giblin, J. C. (1999). The mystery of the mammoth bones (And how it was solved). New York: HarperCollins. Glaser, K. (1999). Spectacular spiders. Brookfield, CT: Millbrook. Gove, D. (1999). My mother talks to trees. Atlanta: Peachtree Publishers, Ltd. Hesse, K. (1999). Come on, rain! New York: Scholastic. Jenkins, S. (1995). Biggest, strongest, fastest. New York: Ticknor & Fields. Jonas, A. (1999). Bird talk. New York: Greenwillow. Katz, A. (1986). Naturewatch. Cambridge, MA: Perseus Publishing. Kay, V. (1999). Iron horses. New York: Putnam. Kirk, D. (1999). Moondogs. New York: Putnam. Lard, M. A. (1999). Seeds of Heaven. Atlanta: Morehouse Publishing. Lehn, B. (1999). What is a scientist? Brookfield, CT: Millbrook. Lerner, C. (1999). My indoor garden. New York: Morrow. Lobel, A. (1999). My day in the garden. New York: Greenwillow. Maass, R. (1999). Garden. New York: Holt. Macaulay, D. (1999). The new way things work. Boston: Houghton Mifflin. Markle, S. (1999). Outside and inside kangaroos. New York: Atheneum. Marshall Cavendish. (1999). Dinosaurs of the World Series. Homes Beach, FL: Author. Martin, J. B. (1999). Snowflake Bentley. Boston: Houghton Mifflin. Mason, A. (1998). Mealworms: Raise them, watch them, see them change. Buffalo, NY: Kids Can Press. McCormack, R. (1998). Fun finding out: Me and my body. Helena, MT: Kingfisher Books. McCormack, R. (1998). Fun finding out: Me and my world. Helena, MT: Kingfisher Books. McNulty, F. (1999). How whales walked into the sea. New York: Scholastic. Meeuwissen, T. (1998). Remarkable animals: 1,000 amazing amalgamations. New York: Orchard. Milord, S. (1989). The kid’s nature book. Charlotte, VT: Williamson Publishing Co. Montgomery, S. (1999). The snake scientist. Boston: Houghton Mifflin. Poole, A. L. (1999). How the rooster got his crown. New York: Holiday House. Rockwell, A. (1999). One bean. New York: Walker. Rodowsky, C. (1999). Not my dog. New York: Farrar, Straus & Giroux. Sayre, A. P. (1999). Home at last—A song of migration. New York: Holt. Schaap, M. (1999). Mop to the rescue. Asheville, NC: Front Street Books. Scott, M. (1995). The young Oxford book of ecology. New York: Oxford.
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Sheehan, K., & Waidner, M. (1991). Earth child: Games, stories, activities, experiments and ideas about living lightly on planet earth. Shrub Oak, NY: Council Oak Books. Smith, R., & Schmidt, M. J. (1998). In the forest with the elephants. New York: Harcourt. Stewart, S. (1997). The gardener. New York: Farrar, Straus, & Giroux. Tesar, J. (1998). Series: Space observer: The planets, Space travel, The moon, The sun. New York: Heinemann. Van Cleave, J. (1996). Ecology for every kid: Easy activities that make learning science fun. New York: Wiley. Van Fleet, M. (1998). Spotted yellow frogs. New York: Penguin Putnam. Wallace, K. (1998). Gentle giant octopus. New York: Candlewick. Wells, R.E. (1995). What’s smaller than a pygmy shrew? Morton Grove, IL: Albert Whitman. Williams, J. (1998). Design and create wheels and cars. Chatham, NJ: Steck-Vaughn. Yolen, J. (1999). Welcome to the ice house. New York: Putnam.
GRADES 4–5 Balan, B. (1997). Cyber.KDZ. series: Blackout in the Amazon; The great NASA flu; When the chips are down. New York: Morrow. Bouchard, R. (1999). Voices from the wild: An animal sensagoria. San Francisco, CA: Chronicle. Cobb, V. (1997). Science experiments you can eat. New York: HarperCollins. Cobb, V. (1999). Don’t try this at home!: Science fun for kids on the go. New York: Morrow. Cobb, V. (2000). This place is wild: East Africa. New York: Walker & Co. Cole, R. (1999). Ranger Rick science programs: Hats. New York: Newbridge Communications. Fleischman, P. (1999). Seedfolks. New York: HarperCollins. Freedman, R. (1997). An Indian winter. New York: Holiday House. George, J. C. (1995). Everglades. New York: HarperCollins Children’s Books. Hemstock, A. (1999). The moose. Mankato, MN: Capstone Press. Henwood, S. (1992). The Hidden Jungle. New York: Farrar, Straus & Giroux. Klages, E. (1999). The brain explorer: Puzzles, riddles, illusions and other mental adventures from the Exploratorium, (Vol. 3). New York: Holt. Krudop, W. L. (1999). Black whiteness: Admiral Byrd alone in the Antarctic. New York: Atheneum. Leber, N., & Bromley, R. (1997). Ranger Rick science program: A world of sound. New York: Newbridge Communications. Lin, G. (1999). The ugly vegetables. Watertown, MA: Charlesbridge.
Little, D. (1998). Alien pets. Boston: Houghton Mifflin. Little, D. (1999) Ten little-known facts about hippopotamuses: And more little-known facts and a few fibs about other animals. Boston: Houghton Mifflin. Love, A., & Drake, J. (1999). Take action: An environmental book for kids. New York: Morrow Junior Books. Maguire, G. (1994). Seven spiders spinning. New York: HarperCollins. Mattern, J. (1999). The coyote, (Vol. 6). Chicago: Children’s Press. Needham, B. (1998). Ecology crafts for kids: 50 great ways to make friends with planet earth. New York: Sterling Publishing Co., Inc. Ontario Science Center. (2000). Plants. Toronto, Ontario, Canada: Kids Can Press. Parker, S. (1999). Electricity. New York: Holt. Pirotta, S. (1999). Series: Deep in the Rain Forest; People in the Rain Forest; Predators in the Rain Forest; Rivers in the Rain Forest; Trees & plants in the Rain Forest. Chatham, NJ: Steck-Vaughn. Potter, J. (1998). Science in seconds at the beach. New York: John Wiley & Sons. Pringle, L. (1995). Fire in the forest: A cycle of growth and renewal. New York: Simon & Schuster. Rice, D. L. (1997). Lifetimes. Nevada City, CA: Dawn Publications. Rogasky, G. (1999). Winter poems. New York: Scholastic. Ross, B. (1995). Straight from the bear’s mouth. New York: Simon & Schuster. Taylor, B. (1997). Earth explained. New York: TwentyFirst Century Books, Inc. Wells, R. E. (1995). What’s smaller than a pygmy shrew? Morton Grove, IL: Albert Whitman. Williams, B. (1999). Environment starts here: Food. Chatham, NJ: Steck-Vaughn. Williams, B. (1999). Environment starts here: Water. Chatham, NJ: Steck-Vaughn. Wynne-Jones, B. (1998). The book of changes. New York: Orchard. Young, J. (1998). Beyond amazing: Six spectacular science pop-ups. New York: Harper: Collins.
SOFTWARE FOR CHILDREN Clue jr. spy glass cd-rom play set. (Ages 7–11). (1997). Pawtucket, RI: Hasbro Interactive. Cyber Trips: Egypt, Washington, D.C., Kenya, Paris, and Mt. Everest. (Grades 2–8). (1999). El Segundo, CA: Classroom Connection. I like science—Butterflies and moths. (Grades K–6). (1999). Chicago: SVE & Churchill Media. I like science—Tadpoles. (Grades K–6). (1999). Chicago: SVE & Churchill Media. Imaginations express destination: Ocean. (Ages 7–11). (1999). Redmond, WA: Edmark.
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Land before time preschool software. (Ages 3–5). (1998). Indianapolis, IN: Macmillan Digital Publishing. Little bear preschool thinking adventures. (Ages 3–5). (1999). Cambridge, MA: The Learning Company. Magic school bus explores the rainforest. (Ages 6–10). (1997). Redmond, WA: Microsoft. Magic School Bus explores the solar system. (Ages 6–10). (1999). Redmond, WA: Microsoft. Magic school bus explores the world of animals. (Ages 6–10). (1998). Redmond, WA: Microsoft. My amazing human body. (Ages 6–10). (1999). New York: DK Interactive. My first amazing science explorer. (Ages 5–8). (1997). New York: DK Multimedia. My first amazing world explorer 2.0 CD-ROM. (Grades K–3). (1999). New York. DK Multimedia.
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The new way things work. (Ages 7–11). (1998). New York: DK Multimedia. Think science with zoo zillions. (Ages 5–8). (1998). Redmond, WA: Edmark. Thinkin’ science. (Grades K–2). (1998). Redmond,WA: Edmark. Young Naturalist Series. (Grades K–8). (1999). Sarasota, FL: T.I. Multimedia.
For additional creative activity resources, visit our Web site at www.EarlyChildEd.delmar.com.
CREATIVE MATHEMATICS OBJECTIVES After studying this chapter, you should be able to: 1. Discuss the developmental pattern of learning mathematical ideas. 2. Discuss how mathematics learning occurs in learning centers in the early childhood classroom. 3. Define rote counting and rational counting. 4. Discuss classification and sorting. 5. Discuss comparing and ordering. 6. Describe the young child’s understanding of shape and form.
E
arly childhood teachers face the challenging responsibility of opening young children’s eyes to the world of mathematics. We may provide creative, stimulating, hands-on experiences that can initiate long-term positive feelings about mathematics, or we may provide a boring stream of workbook pages and dittos. In such a situation, where children are required to sit down, quiet down, and write it down, excitement about math may never have a chance to emerge. Everything we know about young children tells us that early math experiences must be hands-on, filled with play and exploration. Young children’s meanings and understandings of mathematical ideas take place in an action-based learning environment as they use concrete materials as tools with which to think and talk. All young children need opportunities to explore their world and experience mathematics through their play. Early mathematical experiences include such basic events as placing crackers in a toddler’s hands
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while saying, “Here are two crackers—one, two,” or when a three-year-old chooses how she wants her sandwich cut—into triangles, rectangles, or small squares. As a child arranges stuffed animals by size, a teacher might ask, “Which animal is the smallest?” or “Which is the largest?” When children recognize a stop sign from the back, focusing on the octagonal shape rather than the red background and the word “STOP”, adults have an opportunity to talk about different shapes in the environment. Teachers in any setting can help children look for mathematical connections and relationships, encourage their questions, and promote mathematical discussion about topics that interest children. The most powerful mathematics learning for a child is seldom acquired sitting down in a group lesson. In this chapter, the emphasis is on this active exploration of mathematical concepts as a natural part of the early childhood program.
CHAPTER 20 Creative Mathematics
DEVELOPMENTAL PATTERN OF LEARNING MATHEMATICAL IDEAS Long before children formally use numbers, they are aware of them through daily experiences. For example, children become aware of sequences in events before they can talk about what is first, second, or third. At the age of two or three they know that one block on top of another is two blocks, and they know that if they add more they will have three, even though they may not know the words “two” and “three.” When they lift objects, they experience lightness or heaviness. Cuddling up in their mother’s lap, they feel themselves small and her big. They know all this by the reality of their experience through living and doing. Thus, children are able to tell differences in sizes of people, animals, and toys before they have any idea about measurement. They recognize, too, the difference between one and many and between few and lots before they acquire real number concepts. They develop a sense of time long before they can tell time by a clock. Their ideas of time grow out of hearing things like: “It’s time for lunch.” “It’s time to go to bed.” “We’re going for a walk today.” “We went to the park yesterday.” This pattern of early use of numbers is similar to the general-to-specific pattern of physical growth (see Part 1). In these early stages of mathematical thinking, the child has a general understanding of numbers which will gradually move toward a more specific understanding as the developmental process continues. Thus, a general understanding of time (“It’s time for lunch”) develops in a gradual process to a more specific understanding of time (“Twelve o’clock is lunch time”). The child gradually associates 12 o’clock with the time of day of lunch time. They learn with their senses, with their whole bodies. Their understandings become parts of themselves. Only after this has happened can they name these experiences. By the time they learn the words “big,” “small,” “light,” “heavy,” or the names of numbers, they will know by their own senses what these words mean. Recognizing the importance of these early experiences in mathematics, the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics has developed a set of Principles and Standards for Children Pre-K–12 (1998). These standards propose mathematical content and processes students should know and be able to use as they progress through school. There are ten standards, five content standards and five process standards which apply across the pre-K-12 grade span. (See Figure 20–1 for a summary of these standards.) Within each standard, a
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number of focus areas are identified to be emphasized at each grade level. Due to the length and amount of detail involved, it is not possible to present all of the information in this text. However, references to specific standards will be made where appropriate. The latest information on these national standards can be accessed at the National Council of Teacher’s of Mathematics Web site: www.standards-e.nctm.org. Let us now take a look at mathematics in action in the early childhood program. CONTENT Five standards describe the mathematical content that students should be provided. ■ number and operation ■ patterns, functions and algebra ■ geometry and spatial sense ■ measurement ■ data analysis, statistics, and probability PROCESS Five standards describe the mathematical processes through which students should acquire and use their mathematical knowledge. ■ problem-solving ■ reasoning and proof ■ communication ■ connections ■ representation SOCIETAL NEEDS FOR MATHEMATICS ■ Mathematical literacy. The underpinnings of everyday life are increasingly mathematical anmd technological. Our students will live in a world where intelligent decisions often require quantitative understandings. ■ Cultural literacy. Mathematics is a great cultural and intellectual achievement of human kind, and our citizens should develop an appreciation and understanding of that achievement. ■ Mathematics for the workplace. Just as the level of mathematics needed for intelligent citizenship has increased dramatically, so too has the level of mathematical thinking and problemsolving needed in the workplace increased. ■ Mathematicians, scientists, engineers and other users of mathematics. Equity and excellence both must be the object of school mathematics programs. By enfranchising more students, while maintaining high standards, there will be a larger number available to pursue these careers. FIGURE 20–1
Overview of the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics National Standards for Grades Pre-K-12.
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In the preceding scene, we see how moving their own bodies through space helps children learn these specific mathematical concepts. Playtime will allow these children many chances to explore, extend, and refine their spatial discoveries. The children playing on the trampoline are learning to share power, space, things, and ideas as well as using counting for access and comparing their jumping skills by measuring in a nonthreatening way.
MATHEMATICS IN THE ART CENTER
FIGURE 20–2
Counting objects is a basic beginning one-to-one correspondence activity.
MATHEMATICS IN THE MOVEMENT CENTER As we observe in the movement center, we see children climbing over, ducking under, crawling through, and walking around several pieces of climbing equipment. Anthony approaches a ladder bridge suspended between two climbing frames and hesitates. He ducks under it, just clearing the ladder. He looks back to see what he did and repeats this action several times. “What would happen if you didn’t duck?” asks the teacher. Anthony silently stands beside the ladder and indicates with his hand where he would hit his head (an example of measuring vertical distance by eye and comparing lengths). At the trampoline, Christopher counts as Justin jumps. “After ten times, it’s my turn,” he tells Justin (an example of using a cardinal number to obtain access to classroom equipment). The rest of the children begin to count Justin’s jumps. “I can jump highest because I am the tallest,” comments Juliette (an example of explaining measurement between object and event). The children in line begin to measure themselves against each other (comparing length). When the teacher asks who jumped the highest today, the children all agree that it was Amanda. “Is she the tallest?” the teacher asks. “Well, tomorrow I’m going to jump the highest because it’s my birthday,” says Justin. “Amanda jumps in the middle,” observes Juliette (showing she is thinking about location). “I’m going to try that tomorrow.” These specific learning experiences in the movement center fall under the three National Mathematics content standards of number and operation, measurement, and spatial sense.
Many incidental learnings related to mathematics occur during art activities. When materials are used for a particular process, children need to remember quantities and their order of use. Children can frequently be heard explaining a process to classmates by saying, “First you tear the strips, then you add the paste, next you stick them on the balloon.” As art projects are planned, children learn to consider the number of items needed and often the shapes that will be required. This experience relates directly to problem-solving and measurement— two of the content standards in the National Mathematical Standards for children.
FIGURE 20–3
Finger plays help children learn number concepts.
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Using Children’s Books to Teach Math
You will find that children’s books can be used to launch many interesting math learning activities. There are many excellent sources of children’s books for math (see lists at end of this chapter). An example of using the book The Very Hungry Caterpillar by Eric Carle, which describes the life cycle of a caterpillar through the use of vibrant collage-like designs, will give you an idea of how to include books in math experiences. Teaching Comparisons. Size comparison is the most obvious prenumber concept that can be drawn from this book. The caterpillar changes from a tiny egg laid on a leaf to a small, hungry caterpillar to a big brown cocoon and finally, to a large, beautiful butterfly. After reading the book, discuss the size relationships. Later, children can compare cutouts of these items and arrange them from largest to smallest. Teaching Ordering. The prenumber skill of ordering can be related to both the days of the week and the life cycle. Ask children to tell the order of the days of the week or stages of the life cycle told in the book. Ordering the days of the week in this way can promote an interest in the calendar for daily record keeping of days gone by. The life cycle can be used in a gamelike situation in which children order the pictures of the cycle. This can be made self-correcting by placing the numerals 1 through 4 on the back of the pictures. One-to-One Correspondence. The fact that the caterpillar ate through a variety of foods one by one can be used to emphasize the one-to-one correspondence. A learning center follow-up could require children to match pompom caterpillars to plastic fruits to see if there is an equal match or if there are more caterpillars or fruit. Rational Counting. Children can also be asked to rationally count the number of pieces of food the caterpillar ate in the story by counting the number of fruits and then the number of other foods eaten. They might also count the number of days of the week and the life cycle changes. A later concrete learning activity would be to have children count out pieces of fruit or other similar foods eaten by the caterpillar for their own particular snack time. Learning center games could involve the counting of food cutouts found in plastic containers. Cardinal Number. Use the story to emphasize the prenumber skill of recognizing cardinal numbers. As the children look at the book, ask them, “How many things did the caterpillar eat on Saturday?” “How many on Monday?” Later, they can work with a learning center activity that involves counting holes made by the hungry caterpillar in card stock leaves to determine how many bites the caterpillar took. A self-correcting feature can be included by simply writing the answer on the backs of the leaves.
We hear, “My truck will have four wheels,” and “I need a triangle shape of wood for the roof on my house.” Children learn to decide how many as they draw and paint: how many eyes on the face, fingers on the hand, and buttons on the coat. Differences and equivalences in number and size frequently concern children. Six-year-old Jonathan calls out, “I want ten feathers on my peacock, and I have only nine.” Brian, sitting next to him, responds, “I have more than you; I have twelve feathers.” Children also learn about one-to-one correspondence as materials are chosen and distributed to classmates. Four children need four scissors. Five paste cups need five lumps of paste. Three needles need three lengths of yarn, a direct hands-on experience with the
standard of number and operation. The following scenario further demonstrates how art activities can be used to provide children practice in areas related to National Mathematical Standards. Two children are making headbands using shape stamps to make designs on paper strips that will fit around their heads. “This is a skinny square,” says Casper, referring to his rectangle stamp. Claire laughs and looks through the shape set. She picks up an oval shape, “This is a skinny circle!” The children laugh some more as they assign names to the other shapes (comparing shapes provides experience with the geometry and spatial sense standard). Soon they are finished and Casper holds the strip while Claire measures and cuts the correct length (measurement stan-
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dard). On the first try, the strip is too short, and they come to the teacher with the problem. “How could you make it longer?” she asks. Claire thinks they can add some paper to one end of the strip (an example of extending length to make an object longer). Eventually the children make the headbands fit. When two different children approach the center later, Casper says, “You should cut the paper first to be sure it fits.” One child takes this advice, but the other ignores him and begins to make designs on the paper strips. The children in the preceding scenario had a prolonged opportunity to explore and talk about the characteristics of shapes. This was a fun, hands-on learning experience involving the mathematical concepts of shape, measurement, and problem-solving.
MATHEMATICS AT THE WATER TABLE Constant “watery” sounds are heard as children fill containers with water and pour the water back and forth. “This won’t hold all the water,” Grace comments (an example of measuring volume). Elbert picks up a bottle and says, “This one is taller. It will hold the most.” Grace disagrees, “This one might hold a lot because it’s very fat all the way up.” (She is comparing size and capacity of containers.) She suggests that they count how many cups each holds and begins to count, but Elbert just continues to pour water from one container to another. (He is comparing capacity by direct measure.) “This one holds six cups!” says Grace (an example of measurement). “How much does yours hold?” Elbert then begins to fill his bottle with water, using the cup and a funnel. Grace counts the cups and explains, “It’s four and a little bit more—not the whole thing” (a reallife use of measurement—fractions). In the preceding scene, play reveals a progression of mathematical thought. In this situation, the children’s processing of their own experiences shows the way they grow in measurement thinking. They were not concerned with a particular goal or end as much as with the means to achieve it. They did not have a clear plan in mind, and their goals and ends were selfimposed and changed as the activity proceeded.
MATHEMATICS IN THE HOME CENTER Two children are rocking their dolls and sharing a book about a hospital adventure. Suddenly, Mary stops and says, “My doll is so sick. I have to call the doctor.” She looks at a list posted near the telephone and dials
(reading and using numbers). “His number is 555-1234” (ordering a sequence of single numbers). “Hello doctor? My baby is so sick. What should I do? Goodbye. My doctor says I have to give my baby eleventeen pills.” “Oh, well,” says Meb. “My baby was so sicker the other day before today” (time sequence). “He had eleventy-seven pills” (using numbers from the teens to the over-twenty digits). The children continue to rock their babies and share the book. These children are using play to translate their understanding of adult activities into their own actions. Mary understood how adults use numbers to make telephone calls. Play activity also involves intelligence. Mary used her understanding of the pattern of telephone numbers—three digits followed by four digits— to make her call. Her comment to Meb that her baby needed “eleventeen pills” showed her developing number sense; to Mary, teen numbers indicate a larger quantity of an item than single digits. Meb’s comeback indicated that she, too, is developing a sense of numbers because she knew that numbers ending with “ty” are larger than numbers ending with “teen.” Meb’s verbal description of yesterday was understood by her friend and will be replaced later with the appropriate terms after more experiences with time. The above scenario can also be related directly to the National Standards in math. Two of the standards, “communication” in a mathematical sense, and “connections” between mathematics and everyday life were obvious in the children’s play experience.
MATHEMATICS IN THE BLOCK CENTER The block center is a perfect place for math experiences. Blocks are especially good for learning math because they are real-life examples of geometric shapes and solids. The block center is usually set up in preschool rooms, but it is just as important in the early elementary classroom. Figure 20–4 lists some suggested block materials to make this center as complete a learning place as possible. To encourage rich and varied mathematical experiences in the block center, you need to carefully plan the appropriate equipment in this center. For example, the younger the children, the larger their first blocks should be. Smaller blocks can come later, when children feel the need to supplement larger blocks. If you give too many small blocks to the children early in the year and insist that they reshelve them neatly, the children may come to dislike blocks, defeating your purposes in having them at all. Aside from this, block-building is a tremendously satisfying activity that nourishes minds,
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GOALS Activities in this center afford the child experiences in ■ creating real and imaginary structures. ■ differentiating between sizes and shapes. ■ classifying according to size and shape. ■ selecting according to space. ■ conceptualizing about space, size, shape. ■ defining geometric shapes. ■ developing perceptive insight, hand-eye coordination, imagination, and directionality.
MATERIALS Set of solid wooden unit blocks (approximately 200) Wheel toys Puppets (to use with puppet stage or theater) Dolls (from housekeeping center) Dress-up clothes, especially hats Set of hollow blocks (varying in size) Miscellaneous construction sets: Tinkertoys®, Lego® blocks, Lincoln Logs®, Bristle-blocks®, Connectos®, etc. Rubber animals (zoo, farm) Small plastic/rubber people (family, farmer, policeman, etc.) Planks, tiles Old steering wheel Packing crates, boxes, ropes Traffic signs Books related to building Pulleys and ropes Large quantities of “junk” construction materials, egg cartons, milk cartons, rods, spools, small rectangular boxes. etc. FIGURE 20–4
Suggestions for a block center.
imaginations, and the development of mathematical concepts. If your block area is popular and children must wait for turns, make a waiting list—printed neatly for children to read—and set a timer. When you use a timer, children discover that turns are coming around in a fair way. You may also want to post stick-figure pictures indicating how many children can be in the area at one time. Using these objective symbols—pictograph, waiting list, and timer—rather than your say-so, puts attention on the problem of crowding, not on the teacher’s power (Clemens, 1991). A child building with blocks has many experiences related to math, such as classification (grouping by the
FIGURE 20–5
Playtime allows children many chances to extend, explore, and refine their math skills.
same size, for example) and order (putting blocks in order of largest to smallest). There are many other basic math ideas learned through block building, such as length, area, volume, number, and shape. Both small and large motor skills are also developed as children play with blocks. Cleanup in the block center is another good chance to practice math skills. The following suggestions can help you make this cleanup a true learning experience. ■ Ask children to pick up all of the blocks that are curved. ■ Ask children to pick up blocks of three different lengths. ■ Ask children to pick up blocks according to size. ■ Ask children to pick up blocks similar to a specific block that the cleanup director names.*
*The teacher need not always be the cleanup director. Children can make up ideas and take turns being director. Also, the teacher can make a list of block cleanup ideas and put it on the wall in the block corner.
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Web Sites for Math Information and Activities
Try some of the following Internet and software resources to give you some new ideas for math activities. Counting the Days. A comprehensive resource on calendars by World Book. You’ll find an excellent historic background on the calendar with great related web links. Visit www.worldbook.com/fun/calendard/html/ calendars.htm Timelines. This software allows you to create graphic timelines ranging from one-page representations to a timeline that stretches from one school hallway to the next. There are also dozens of timeline databases on many curricular themes which will help you incorporate timelines in all content areas. For more information on Timelines by Tom Snyder Productions, visit their Web site at: www.tomsnyder.com Today in History. What better way to examine the changes of time than to explore the events of history? This Library of Congress site gives us a look at the events of history over time. Look at today, or type in your birthday and see what events occurred on that special day in history: lcweb2.loc.gov/ammem/today/ Once Upon a Time. Incorporate your favorite book characters of time. Who can forget the ticking clock in the belly of the alligator in Peter Pan? Or the travel through time in the Time Machine? Who is the time character in Alice in Wonderland? And don’t forget the stroke of midnight in Cinderella. How many more can you find? Be sure to check out the Time theme from Carol Hurst’s Children’s Literature Site for many more ideas about time and books: www.carolhurst.com/ Webmath. This is an exceptional site which uses the immediacy of the internet to provide students with help for math problems they’re working on right now. Using a sophisticated math “engine,” the user enters a problem and the engine generates an answer with an explanation of how the problem was solved. Teachers can even create a math quiz online. WebMath can solve more than 80 types of word problems. Want to figure wind chill, convert fractions or make a graph? These and more are available. Be sure to share this resource with parents, too! Visit www.webmath.com. Texas Instruments Educational Resources. Calculators anyone? This is a comprehensive collection of math activities for all grades. Click on educators, students, or parents to find resources using math and calculators. An Activity Matrix makes it easy to choose by subject, grade level or product. This site offers excellent Internet resources for math and science divided by grade level. There is also a free booklet, Uncovering Math with Your Family, that can be downloaded and sent home to involve parents in their child’s math instruction. Teachers are invited to share ideas for using calculators and math in the classroom and there are discussion groups for sharing. Parents will find books and resources on math. Visit www.ti.com/calc.
■ Ask children to pick up blocks different from a specific block that cleanup director names. ■ Ask children to put away all of a particular shape or size block and ask how many of that block she or he used. ■ Ask children to stack all of the blocks that go in the lower left section of the blocks shelf. Then stack the lower middle shelf, etc. ■ Ask children to put away blocks in groups of twos, threes, fours, etc. ■ Ask children to put away one dozen long unit blocks. ■ Ask children to put away blocks according to size
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beginning with biggest or longest and ending with the smallest or shortest. Select certain people to put away certain shapes, e.g., rectangles, cylinders. Select certain people to collect blocks according to weight. Have children put away a certain unit of blocks and all of the blocks that are a fraction of that unit block. Use an assembly line to put away blocks. This encourages cooperation among the children. Ask children to pick up a number of blocks that are greater or less than the number of blocks the cleanup director is holding (Hirsch, 1996).
CHAPTER 20 Creative Mathematics
MATHEMATICAL CONCEPTS: DEFINITIONS AND RELATED ACTIVITIES In our preceding discussion many references were made to various mathematical concepts young children develop through everyday experiences in early childhood learning centers. This section provides a brief description of these basic mathematical concepts and suggests some related activities for development of these specific concepts. NUMBERS Children learn numbers by rote. A child often has no comprehension of what these abstract terms mean, but as a result of relevant experiences, he begins to attach meaning to numbers. Children talk about monetary values in their play, usually without any comprehension of what a dime or a quarter is. While playing store Irene glibly sold the apple for a dollar and later sold the coat and hat for ten cents. Before the child is three years old, she often can count to ten in proper order. Such counting (called rote counting), however, may have little specific meaning for the child. The words may be only sounds to her, sounds repeated in a particular sequence like a familiar song. This rote counting is similar to the stage in the development of speech (see Chapter 18) when a child can repeat words without really understanding their meaning. Quite different from and much more difficult than rote counting is understanding the numerals as they apply to a sequence of objects: that each numeral represents the position of an object in the sequence (button 1, button 2, button 3, and so on). Equally or more difficult to understand is the idea that the last number counted in a sequence of objects represents all the objects in the sequence, the total number of objects counted. This is called rational counting. For example, in counting six buttons, the child must grasp the idea that six, the last number counted, tells her how many buttons she has—that she has six buttons in all. Rational counting, a higher-level number understanding, develops slowly for most children. However, carefully structured activities that take one idea and present it to children one step at a time help them grow from a general to a more specific understanding of numbers. Young children frequently hear counting—as steps are being climbed, objects are being stacked, foods are being distributed, fingerplays are being played, familiar nursery rhymes and songs are being enjoyed, and dur-
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ing many other activities. This repetition helps the child memorize the sequence and sounds of numbers, even before the meanings of these numbers are understood. Songs, fingerplays, and nursery rhymes using the fingers as counting objects should be common practice in early childhood programs to help young children practice the sounds and sequence of numbers. True counting ability (rational counting) is not possible until the child understands one-to-one correspondence. In other words, to rote count (to say the number sequence) is one thing, but to count items correctly— one number per item—is more difficult. Very often when a young child is given a series of things to count, the child counts two numbers for one item or two items while saying only one number. Thus, as rote counting develops, teachers should also encourage the skills of one-to-one correspondence. Having the child touch each object as she counts is one way to encourage one-to-one correspondence. Repeating this exercise in various experiences throughout the day reinforces the concept of one-to-one correspondence. Young children should be asked to count only with number names that are meaningful to them, i.e., cardinal numbers (the numbers one, two, three, etc.). Young children just learning numbers often have difficulty in understanding the relationship between counting and number. For example, Claire may count, “One, two books.” Later, when asked to bring two books to the table, she may count, “one, two” and bring only the second book. Ordinal number refers to the place of an object in a series of numbers. The second book in the preceding example is an ordinal number. (The cardinal number is two.)
FIGURE 20–6
One-to-one correspondence is practiced in counting objects.
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CLASSIFICATION AND SORTING Classification and sorting activities are the beginnings that help children perceive a variety of relationships among things in their world.
Classification. Putting together things that are alike or that belong together is one of the processes necessary for developing the concept of number. In order to classify, children must be able to observe an object for likenesses and differences, as well as for attributes associated with purpose, position, location, or some other factor. Children progress through the following stages as they develop the skill of classifying: 1. Sorting into graphic collections without a plan in mind. Children may put all of the blocks with a letter on them together and then, ending with a blue letter, continue by putting all blue blocks with the group. When the grouping is complete, they won’t be able to tell you why the blocks belong together, only that they do. 2. Grouping with no apparent plan. When asked why all the things go together, children respond with some reason, but one not immediately clear to the adult: “Well, all these are like George’s.” 3. Sorting on the basis of some criterion. Children proceed to being able to sort a group of objects on the basis of one criterion. All of the green things or all of the round things go together, but not all of the green and round objects go together in a group. 4. Next, children can create groupings on the basis of two or more properties, putting all of the green and round objects together in a group. 5. Finally, children sort objects or events according to function, use, or on the basis of a negative concept, such as all of the things that are not used in the kitchen. Before children can classify and sort, they need to understand concepts such a “belongingness,” “put together,” “alike” and “belong together.” These concepts are acquired over time as children have varied hands-on experiences in the early childhood program. Your role as a teacher is to help children gain these ideas through a variety of experiences with a wide variety of materials selected specifically for classifying and sorting activities. Materials for children’s classifying and sorting may be kept together on a shelf in the manipulative toy or game area of your room. Boxes or sorting trays (common plastic dishpans and muffin tins work well) are kept with the materials. Sorting trays can be constructed by either attaching a series of metal jar lids onto a board or
piece of cardboard; mounting a number of clear plastic cups onto a board; dividing a board or tray into sections with colored pieces of tape; or by mounting small, clear plastic boxes onto a board. Egg cartons, plastic sewing boxes, tool boxes (such as those for storing nuts and bolts), and fishing boxes are also useful for sorting trays and stimulate children to use materials mathematically. COMPARING The skill of comparing seems to come easily and naturally, especially when it is a personal comparison. “My shoes are newer than yours.” “I’ve got the biggest.” “My sister is little.” “You’ve got more.” When children build with blocks, they may be asked to make additional comparisons: “Which tower is the tallest?” “Pick up the heaviest blocks first.” “Build something as tall as this.” Have children identify parts of their buildings using the vocabulary of comparison. When different size and shape containers are used in sand and water play, children can make comparisons based on volume. In the early childhood program, these are informal and related to children’s actual experiences. “How many blue cups of water will it take to fill this bucket?” “How many red?” “Which is the heaviest?” “This doesn’t hold as much.” Stories and poems, often the folk tales children are already familiar with, offer other opportunities for informal comparisons. The Three Billy Goats Gruff, The Three Bears, and others offer comparisons on the basis of differing attributes. Throughout the preschool years, ask children to observe and note differences in the objects of their environment, to name them, and to discuss them with one another. ORDERING (SERIATION) Another mathematical idea that is a vital part of a complete number concept formation is the idea of ordering (seriation). Ordering the environment into series begins when children are very young and continues throughout adult life. The child begins by perceiving opposite ends of a series: big ________________ little heavy______________ light cold _______________ hot long _______________ short The intervention of an adult, suitable materials, and appropriate language lead to refinement of these early basic concepts. The comparison of the height of two
CHAPTER 20 Creative Mathematics
children is beginning ordering, as is the comparison of two sets of things as more or less. Ordering sticks, blocks, or nesting cups in a sequence that leads gradually from the smallest to the biggest helps children see ordered size relations. When children line up to go outdoors, they meet another idea of order: Juan stands in front of Claire, and Yvonne stands in back of Drew. They may use their understanding of sequence when they say, “I want to be first,” or “Jimmy is last.” After listening to the story of The Three Bears, their observations may become more refined as they discuss the story. The story contains big–little and one-to-one relationships, in addition to its many other enjoyable qualities. The idea of ordering in size also appears naturally in other classroom areas. The teacher can make ordering a part of natural discussions in relation to the children’s play and activities: sets of cans, bottles, and books can also be used for practicing ordering of size. With younger children, only two objects are compared at first; this will be extended to three or more objects for older children. Children enjoy ordering activities and do so spontaneously. Many table toys provide ordering experiences, as do ordinary objects like measuring spoons and cups. Your role is to provide materials and sufficient time. When children find the existing materials too easy, you can awaken their interest by encouraging them to use the toys differently, by asking them questions, and by providing additional materials. Ordering activities can include length (sticks), height (bottles), total size (bowls and shoes), weight (stones), color (from light to dark), and other endless possibilities.
SHAPE AND FORM Young children need many experiences with shapes and making comparisons between shapes before they focus on naming shapes. Usually, it is enough to introduce one new shape at a time. As the new shape is understood, other shapes may be added. The basis for building new meanings on former learning is thus strengthened. In teaching young children about shape and form, it is important to include more shapes than the common geometric shapes of a circle, triangle, rectangle, and square. Since shapes aid in, or are sources of, identification, limiting instruction to the “basic shapes” excludes from the learning environment important aspects of recognition of shapes in general. Yet familiar shapes must be taught before uncommon ones. Most of these unfamiliar shapes depend on
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previous shape identification and recognition. From the basis of understanding simple shapes, the child is able to build more complex structures. As with the teaching of any ideas, shapes can be found throughout the child’s environment. Words defining shapes should be used often. For example, everyday language should include such statements as: “That is a square box,” rather than “That is square”; “The clock is round,” rather than “This is round”; “Put the book on the square table,” rather than “Put it over there.” With these phrases, the object and its characteristic shape are made clear to the child. Later on, more characteristics, such as color, size, texture, and number may be added. When unfamiliar shapes are introduced, a review of already familiar ones should precede the new introduction. Then the children’s thinking can be stimulated with such questions as “How is this new shape the same as . . . ?” or “How is this new shape not the same as (or different from) . . . ?” Such comparisons reinforce and review shapes already learned.
MATHEMATICS GRADES 3–5 Mathematics is a subject most students in grades 3–5 like. In fact, nearly three quarters of fourth graders report liking mathematics (Kenney & Silver, 1997). Students in grades 3–5 see mathematics as practical, are challenged with many new ideas, and believe that what they are learning is important. However, sometime between grades 4 and 8 students’ interest in mathematics begins to wane. Although they continue to view mathematics as important, by grade 8 students are less likely to characterize it as interesting or to consider themselves good at math. (Kenney & Silver). It is crucial that the mathematics education in the upper elementary and early middle grades be challenging, relevant, and engaging for students. The curriculum materials and instructional approaches a teacher uses help students connect mathematical ideas and provide a basis for making them meaningful. Because the amount of content in grades 3–5 expands greatly from that of the earlier grades, students need help in building connections and managing the many new concepts and procedures they are encountering. Students in grades 3–5 must also understand and bear responsibility for their learning. In math this means learning how to examine, ask questions, and consider different strategies—all with the goal of making sense of mathematical ideas and fitting them to other, related areas.
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While the ten standards of the National Council of Mathematics Teachers apply to all grade levels, the instructional emphases for grades 3–5 build on those outlined for grades pre-K–2 and extend well beyond them. Although number and operation continue to be cornerstones of the curriculum in grades 3–5, each of the content standards (number, data, measurement, algebra, and geometry) is essential for building student knowledge at this level. Several “big ideas” or central mathematical themes for this grade band are woven through these areas, including multiplication, equivalence, and the notion of unit. Likewise, knowledge and use of mathematical processes should be deepened and expanded in these grades. Students in grades 3–5 are capable of sophisticated reasoning and should be challenged and supported in their learning. In grades 3–5, extending understanding from whole numbers to fractions and decimals is a key dimension of the mathematics curriculum. Students need many and varied experiences in order to understand what fractions and decimals represent, how they are related to each other, and how they are different from whole numbers.
CALCULATORS: GRADES 3–5 The calculator and a variety of computer software should be considered legitimate tools for learning and doing math and should be available to students in grades 3–5. Teachers should create opportunities and make judgments about when and how these tools are used to support learning. As tools for doing math, students should use calculators and spreadsheets to carry out the procedures needed to solve problems. As a tool for learning mathematics, students in grades 3–5 should use graphing and geometry software and calculators to explore, experiment, verify, and visualize mathematical ideas. For example, students in grades 3–5 can explore geometric relationships using software to create, modify, and examine shapes. They can create graphs and consider how some presentations of data highlight or distort certain trends. They can use calculators to explore the relationship of decimals to whole numbers or of negative numbers to positive numbers. They should also have the opportunity and learn techniques to search the Internet to gather information and solve mathematical problems. The calculator is an important tool in teaching mathematics in grades 3–5. However, calculators will not replace the need for quick recall of basic facts, a basic understanding of math concepts, or the ability to formulate and use strategies for computing. Rather, the
FIGURE 20–7
For middle elementary level children, sorting and classifying can be done with many more items and categories.
calculator should support these goals by enhancing and stimulating student learning. As students solve problems involving many complex computations, the calculator should be used to perform calculations. The calculator serves as a tool for enabling the problem solver to focus on the big picture rather than become entangled in the calculating details. (See chapter end for some suggested activities for grades 3–5.)
SUMMARY Long before a child formally uses numerals, she is aware of them through daily experiences. For example, a child becomes aware of sequences in events before she can talk about what is first, second, or third (ordinal numbers). She recognizes, too, the difference between one and many and between few and lots before she acquires real number concepts. The pattern of early uses of number, is similar to the general-to-specific pattern of physical growth. In these early stages of mathematical thinking, the child has a general understanding of number, which will gradually move toward a more specific understanding as the developmental process continues. Thus, a general understanding of time (“It’s time for lunch”) develops in a gradual process over time to a more specific understanding of time (“Twelve o’clock is lunch time”). It is important that adults use number terms correctly in daily experiences with the child. Demonstrating their meaning in daily activities is just as important as using the right words. Mathematical concept learning is a natural part of daily activities in early childhood learning centers. In centers such as art, blocks, movement, water
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play, and language arts, young children are actively involved in using their emerging mathematical understandings. Counting by rote (memory) is common for young children aged three and up. Counting with understanding (rational counting) does not occur until a child understands the one-to-one correspondence of number. At this point, even though the child is not yet able to recognize the numeral, when an object is placed or pointed to, the child can correctly ascribe a number to it. For example, as blocks are stacked in a tower, the child correctly counts 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, respectively, with each block. Classification, or putting together things that are alike or that being together, is one of the processes necessary for developing the concept of number. In order to classify, children must be able to observe an object for likenesses and differences, as well as for other common factors. Sorting things according to ways they “belong” together is an excellent activity for classification skill practice in the early childhood program. Comparing is another mathematical process that is appropriate in the early childhood program. Children seem to make comparisons easily and naturally, especially when the comparisons involve them personally. Another mathematical idea that is a vital part of a complete number concept is the idea of order. Putting things in a series or in order is a process that is appropriate for early mathematical experiences. The comparison of two objects is usually the beginning for young children with such concepts as big–little, cold–hot, heavy–light, and long–short.
D.
E.
F.
G.
KEY TERMS H. cardinal numbers comparing one-to-one correspondence ordering (seriation)
ordinal number rational counting rote counting
LEARNING ACTIVITIES A. Use one of the activities suggested in this chapter with a group of young children. Evaluate your experience. Share your evaluation with your classmates. B. Make up some of your own activities for the mathematical concepts discussed in this chapter. C. Choose at least two of the children’s books listed in the Additional Readings at the end of the chapter.
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Explain why you chose them and how you would plan to use them with young children. If possible, use them with a group of children and discuss your results. Using a school supply catalog, choose three pieces of mathematical equipment appropriate for teaching each of the following: seriation, geometric shapes, size. Imagine that as a teacher you have $100.00 to spend on mathematical equipment. Using a school supply catalog, spend this sum for your class of children. Explain how you spent your $100.00 as follows: 1. developmental reason for choice 2. purpose(s) for item Choose one or two children from each of these age groups: three-year-olds, four-year-olds, five-yearolds. Assess each child’s ability to count. Write up your results on each of the children in these age groups. Discuss what math activities would be developmentally appropriate for these children based on your findings. Observe and talk with a preschool child, listening for comments and understanding related to numbers. If possible, ask the child such questions as “How old are you? What is your favorite number? How far can you count? Where do you see numbers?” Now make a comparison. Observe and preferably talk with a child between five and six years old and ask some of the same questions. You will want to ask more questions such as “Show me how you can add some things. Here are three pencils, and what will you have if you add two more pencils?” Challenge the child with number questions and problems. Now compare the differences in the two children you observed, keeping in mind the differences in their ages. Log on to one of the math Web sites listed in the “This One’s for You” box on page 352. Share your opinion of this as a resource with your fellow students. What was the most obvious plus of this resource? What was its greatest drawback? Will you plan to use this as a resource in the future? Why or why not? Ask children in grades 3–5 their opinions on math. What percent of the children liked math? Ask them why they feel the way they do about math. Report on your results to the class.
ACTIVITIES FOR CHILDREN Activities such as the following help children grasp the mathematical concept of counting.
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■ In counting activities, have the child touch each object. Count only with number names meaningful to the child. Repeat this in various settings until touching or pointing to objects is no longer necessary. Provide for many manipulative counting experiences with beads, buttons, cookies, napkins, children, and chairs. Match beads to boxes, children to chairs. Determine the number of places, quantity of milk, silverware, napkins, and so on needed at the table. ■ Use buttons, bottle caps, or similar objects. The children practice counting three and putting three in a box and taking three (vary the number) out of a box. Then the child can use the buttons or bottle caps and glue them onto a piece of paper to make a picture if they like. ■ Bean Bag Toss: Have a large target and give each child a turn to try to get a specified number of bean bags into the hole. Have the child choose the specified number of bean bags and count them again as she throws. NUMBERS AND SNACKS Number concepts can be reinforced easily in everyday routines. Snack time is an excellent time for teaching about numbers. Once or twice a week, prepare snacks to reinforce mathematical concepts. Discuss the characteristic of each snack at service time. Then let the children eat while they learn from the special snack you have prepared. A. Choose a number such as “four” and serve snack items in groups of four (four raisins, four carrot sticks, four banana slices, four crackers, etc.) B. Choose a geometric shape such as a circle and serve round snack items (round crackers, cucumber slices, round cereal, carrot slices, banana slices, etc.) CONCEPT OF NUMBER AND COUNTING Cut face cards in half (make the cutting lines different on the separate cards so that only the two correct halves will fit together). Put the cards together as puzzles. Add these to the math center. Place numerals from 1 to 10 around the room. Show the child a card with objects on it, and ask her to find the numeral that tells how many objects are on the card. Make a number book by pasting the correct number of beans, pieces of macaroni, or colored squares next to written numerals. Take out two pages from a calendar. Leave the numerals on one of the pages intact. Separate the numerals on the other page. The separate numerals are then matched to those on the whole page.
Set up at the math center a numeral recognition and numeration activity such as “Counting Marbles.” Provide ten paper cups and label them with the numerals 1 through 10. Provide a box with lots of marbles. Place these on a table for a minimath center. Two children work together. One child examines the numeral printed on each cup and drops in the appropriate number of marbles. The child then gets her partner to check each cup and count the marbles to see if the correct amount was put in it. The marbles then go back into the box.
Placemats with Numbers—Teacher-Made Games. You will need large sheets of construction paper, ruler, felt-tip markers, clear contact paper, index cards, crayons, game markers (dried beans, cereal, etc.), patterned wrapping paper, scissors, tagboard, and tape. Make gameboards on large sheets of construction paper and cover them with clear contact paper. Use the gameboards as placemats, and let the children play games on them before snacktime or lunch. Number placemats. Divide large sheets of construction paper into six or more squares. Write different numerals in the upper left-hand corners. Set out a large bowl of dried beans, raisins, etc., to use as markers. The children place corresponding numbers of markers in the squares on their gameboards. Shapes. Make a gameboard for each group of two or three children. In the upper left-hand corner of a large piece of construction paper, draw a circle and write “Start” inside it. Draw a pathway of geometric shapes (circles, squares, triangles, etc.), in random order, winding around the paper. End with a circle in the lower right-hand corner marked “Finish.” Make three or four game cards for each shape by drawing the shapes on index cards. Put the deck of cards face down and give each child a different kind of game marker to place on the “Start” circle. As each child turns up a card, have her move her marker to the next shape designated by the index card.
Wearing Numbers. Purchase a supply of white paper hats—the kind restaurant workers wear— through a restaurant supply house. (Check with a restaurant manager to find out where to buy them locally.) Use these hats to reinforce number concepts. Write a number on each hat. Have the children glue different sets of items that go with that number onto their hat. For example, three buttons on the hat with a “3” on it; four stickers on the hat with “4” on it; etc. As a variation, make paper crown hats out of construction paper and have the children be Number Kings and Queens, using the same method as described previously.
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Choose a geometric shape such as a triangle. Cut various colors and sizes of triangles out of construction paper. Children glue them onto their hats (or crowns) in any manner appealing to them.
Number Books. Make a book for each child by stapling four sheets of white paper together with a colored construction paper cover. Title the cover according to a selected learning concept (Number Book, Matching Book, Shape Book, etc.). The children look through magazines and catalogs to find pictures that illustrate that learning concept. Then they tear out the pictures and glue them into their books. Number books. Number the pages of each book from one to eight. The children glue pictures of one thing on page one, pictures of two things on page two, etc. Shape books. Choose a geometric shape, such as a circle, and have the children glue pictures of circular things throughout their books. Or, label the pages of the books with different geometric shapes (circles, squares, triangles, etc.) and the children glue correspondingly shaped pictures onto the appropriate pages. SIZE, SERIATION, AND ORDINAL NUMBERS
Ordering/Seriation. Challenge the children with some of these activities. ■ Find the shortest or longest rod or tinker toy. ■ Pick from three objects of differing heights the one that is shortest, and describe the remaining two objects. ■ Describe how the objects in a series, arranged from shortest to longest, differ from one another. ■ Collect nesting materials, such as a set of measuring spoons or measuring cups. Ask the child to arrange the objects in correct order so that they will properly “nest” together, one object fitting inside the other. Be sure to have the children set the objects on the table in order from smallest to largest after they have finished “nesting” them. ■ Using three cans of different sizes and three bean bags in the three sizes, arrange the cans from smallest to largest in a row. Ask the child to line the bean bags up next to the cans, putting the smallest by the smallest, etc. Shuffle the cans and the bean bags. Let the child order the cans from smallest to largest this time and then match the bean bags to the cans. ■ Cut out three fish. Make each fish large enough to totally conceal the next smaller fish when placed over it. Tell the children that the fish go in order, with the biggest fish first leading the others. Have them find the largest fish and then the fish that will
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follow. Check to see if the largest fish covers the fish that follows. For self-checking, the child places each fish on top of the next to see if the next fish is smaller. Variation: Order from the smallest fish to the largest fish. Materials such as buttons, gummed stars, lids, beads, feathers, and nails can be used as collage material or to seriate in order of size. Also, size comparisons between two or more of the objects can be made. Boxes or cans can be seriated or ordered from smallest to largest by placing them inside one another. Children can roll balls of various sizes from clay or play dough. They can then seriate these balls according to size. Growing Neighborhoods. Make felt or cardboard cutouts in three or more sizes of different heights, for example, trees, houses, hats. Challenge the child to arrange them in a given order beginning with shortest or tallest. (Variation: Arrange trees in order of height.)
Buttons and Math Activities. Ask parents to furnish buttons in all shapes and sizes. Use these for sorting by color and by size. Older children (four- and fiveyear-olds) can even make graphs showing how many buttons of each color have been collected. Make at least five different designs by gluing buttons to cards. Give children the same size cards and let them use buttons from the classroom supply to duplicate the designs on their cards.
COMPARING The following materials can be used to aid children in comparing. ■ String, ribbon, pencils, rulers, clay snakes, lines, or strips of paper. Ask children which is longest, longer, shortest, and shorter. ■ Buttons, dolls, cups, plastic animals, trees, boats. Have the children identify the biggest one or one bigger than another. ■ Containers and coffee cans filled with various materials and sealed, buckets or bags of items. Ask which is the heaviest or the lightest, which is heavier than another. ■ Toy cars, trucks, swings. Ask which is the fastest, slowest, which is faster than another? ■ Paper, cardboard, books, pieces of wood, food slices, cookies. Have children make or find one that is thick, thicker, thickest, or thinnest. ■ Voices, musical instruments, drums, or other noise makers. Pick out the loud and soft sounds, the loudest or softest (Charlesworth & Radeloff, 1996).
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CLASSIFICATION AND SORTING The following materials are helpful for classification and sorting activities. ■ Boxes of scrap materials—velvet squares, tweeds, and net cut into uniform sizes and shapes for feeling, sorting, and classifying according to texture. A large enough collection of materials may lead children into setting up and playing store. ■ A box or shelf of bells—cow bells, Christmas bells, decorative bells, sleighbells—all inviting children to sort and classify on any basis they decide, perhaps size, color, shape, or sound. ■ A box of various textured papers, cut into uniform shapes and sizes for the younger children and then into a variety of shapes for older children. Smooth papers, watercolor paper, textured papers, and others can be obtained from a local print shop. ■ Individual boxes of shells, beans, macaroni, seeds, beads, or rocks. Again, all should be large enough not to be put into the nose or ears. ■ Collections of nuts, nails, screws, and bolts to classify and sort according to shape, size, or function.
Sorting. Make two big loops with string on a table or on the floor. Have a set of round objects of several colors and a set of red objects of different shapes and sizes. Put a round object in one loop and a red object in the other loop. Have the children sort according to this rule. Then make the loops overlap as shown in Figure 20–8. Tell the children that only objects that are round and red can go in the middle loop. Have children resort the objects. Provide other sets of objects that lend themselves to this type of sorting and let the children determine the sorting rules.
Sorting Beans. Materials needed are a bag with about 30 beans of three different kinds, three small containers, each labeled with a picture of one of the beans (or tape one of the beans onto the container). Explain to the children that there is a bag with three different kinds of beans in the math center. Display the beans and name them together. Show the children the three containers with labels on them.
Middle loop
FIGURE 20–8
Sorting loops.
Explain that they are going to sort the beans into the three containers when they are in the math center. They take the beans out of the bag one at a time and figure out which container it belongs in. When the child is finished (and you have checked the work), the child pours all the beans back into the bag for the next child.
Number Quiz.
Have the children make up and exchange riddles about “more” and “fewer.” Examples: “I’m thinking of a number that is one more than the buttons on my shirt.” “I’m thinking of a number that is one fewer than the windows in our room.” Have the children make up and mentally solve riddles about same numbers. For example, “I am the same number as legs on a dog.” “I am the same number as points on a triangle.”
ACTIVITIES FOR OLDER CHILDREN (GRADES 4–5) JUNK MAIL Catalogs make fun lessons: Have the students find two items that total $11.98; add up all items on page 7; if you had $25.00 to spend for your friend’s birthday, what would you select; figure shipping costs on a given item. MULTIPLICATION ACTIVITIES Memorizing the multiplication facts and understanding the concept of what these facts represent are a necessary foundation for further math learning and that can be particularly difficult for students. The following are some activities to help students develop this mathematical skill. ■ Multiplication art—Have each student select five multiplication equations that are especially hard to remember. Then ask students to draw a picture of the equation and the answer. Students can choose to draw a picture and put the equation and answer somewhere within the picture. For example, a drawing for 5 x 6 might consist of a boy who is wearing a shirt with the number 5 on it, standing in front of an apartment door with a 6 on it, talking to a woman who is celebrating her thirtieth birthday with a cake that has 30 written on it. ■ Multiplication building—For homework, have students choose two multiplication facts that are difficult for them. Then have them build three-dimensional creations that use those equations. For example, the equation 9 x 6 = 54 can be depicted by a model house with six rooms and nine objects in each room. Students should share their creations with the class without showing the equation.
CHAPTER 20 Creative Mathematics
Students enjoy studying these models and figuring out the multiplication fact hidden within. ■ Multiplication baseball—Divide the class into two teams and designate a first, second, third, and home base in the room. For example, the pencil sharpener can be first base, the blackboard can be second, and so on. One group stands at the front of the room (home base) while the other group is seated. One student from Team A is “at bat,” while one student from Team B “pitches” a multiplication problem. The pitcher must know the answer to their team’s problem or it’s an automatic home run. After the problem is “pitched,” the student at bat gives the answer and moves to first base. This continues until three students answer incorrectly at which time the teams trade places. To make the game more challenging, divide the multiplication problems into “singles” (easy), “doubles” (moderate), “triples” (difficult), and home runs (extremely difficult). Students at bat can choose which type of pitch they want. You can decide how many “innings” time will allow. ■ Musical activities—Some students who naturally learn and store information through music will enjoy memorizing their multiplication facts through songs and jingles. Don’t be surprised if you hear these students singing a multiplication fact during math time. Ask students to work in pairs to create their own multiplication jingle using one multiplication pattern (5 x 0, 5 x 1, 5 x 2, etc.). ■ Multiplication talk show—Invite students to the “multiplication talk show,” where they’ll participate as the guest audience and/or the featured speakers. The show is moderated by Mickey Multiplication and the topic is “The Rough Life of Being a Multiplication Problem.” Invite students to role-play multiplication problems after giving each number a personality. For example, Freddie Four may discuss how confused he gets when he has to play with Mr. Eight Snowman and that the last time they played a game, he caught Mr. Snowman cheating 32 times!
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bers: 41, 42, 43, and 44 . Give each member of the family a unique personality relating to its fraction. Fraction song—Make up a song to help students learn about fractions. You might want to use a familiar melody. Be sure the lyrics help students understand that fractions are used to break down a “whole.” Fraction P. E. game—Redesign a game you already play to include fractions. For example, in softball, every time a player scores, his team could score 23 of a point instead of one point. The how-to fraction book—What problems did you have in learning fractions? Write a how-to book to help students with one of these problems. Include pictures, written explanations, and tips from your own experience. Fraction skit—Write and perform a short skit that teaches students how to reduce fractions. You may want to use props to show that certain fractions are equal even if they look different.
ART AND MATH Emphasize how artists use their knowledge of measurement and geometric shapes and forms—in designing architecture, in planning beautifully proportioned vases, and many other aspects of art. ■ Discuss radial balance—In radial balance shapes and lines go out from a center. You see radial designs in many flowers and wheels. Have the students collect and display examples of radial balance and radial designs in human-made and natural forms. The examples might be actual objects or photos cut from old magazines and newspapers. Examples of radial balance include starfish, wheels, snowflakes, many flowers, and the like. After the students develop a display, teach them to use a compass and ruler to create precisely measured radial designs.
FRACTIONS
SHAPE AWARENESS
Some students experience a great deal of difficulty and frustration with the concept of fractions. Try some of these activities to reduce the fear of fractions and to help students understand what a fraction really is.
Discuss the difference between knowing that a shape is a circle cut from paper and the process of seeing the same shape from different angles or views. Demonstrate some of the positions from which a circle (cut from paper) can look like a wide ellipse, a narrow ellipse, and a straight line. Share art prints with them that show objects or people from different angles. Discuss how shapes are changed by angle of viewing. Encourage students to draw a familiar object from an unusual view to alter its shape and appearance.
■ Fraction order—Order the following fractions from 1 , 2 , 3 , 1 , 7 , and 5 ; underneath largest to smallest: 10 8 4 15 8 12 each fraction, draw a picture to represent it. ■ Fraction story—Write a story about a fractional family. For example, the “Fourth” family has four mem-
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CHAPTER REVIEW 1. What is the developmental pattern in a young child’s mathematical skills? Give examples and related activities in your reply. 2. What would you consider basic equipment and materials for a math center? Discuss the reasons for your choices. 3. How do learning centers assist a child’s development of mathematical skills? Give examples in your reply. 4. What is rote counting? What is rational counting? How can you tell when a child is capable of either of these skills? 5. What does it mean to develop the skill of seriation? Give examples of activities that would help a child learn this skill. 6. How would you introduce shapes to a young child? 7. What are some ways to teach classification? Give specific activity examples in your reply.
REFERENCES Charlesworth, R., & Radeloff, D. (1996). Experiences in math for young children (3rd ed.). Albany, NY: Delmar. Clemens, S. G. (1991, Jan.). Art in the classroom: Making every day special. Young Children, 4–11. Hirsch, E. S. (Ed.). (1996). The block book (3rd ed.). Washington, DC: NAEYC. Kenney, P. A., & Silver, E. A. (Eds.). (1997). Results from the sixth mathematics assessment of the National Assessment of Educational Progress. Reston, VA: National Council of Teachers of Mathematics, 36–38. National Council of Teachers of Mathematics. (1998). Principles and standards for mathematics grades preK–12. Washington, DC: National Academy Press.
ADDITIONAL READINGS American Association for the Advancement of Science. (1999). Dialogue on early childhood Science, mathematics, and Technology education. Washington, DC: National Press. Andrews, A. G. (1995, Oct.). The role of self-directed discovery time in the development of mathematics concepts. Teaching Children Mathematics, 2(2), 116–120. Aubrey, C. (1997). Mathematics teaching in the early years: An investigation of teacher’s subject knowledge. Mukilteo, WA: Falmer Press. Boucher, A. (1998). Critical thinking through estimation. Teaching Children Mathematics, 4(8), 452–55.
Carpenter, T. I., Fennema, E., Franke, M. L., Levi, L., & Empson, S. B. (1999). Children’s mathematics: Cognitively geared instruction. Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann. Contestable, J. W., Regan, S., & Robertson, L. (1999). Number power: A cooperative approach to mathematics and social development. Kindergarten. Oakland, CA: Developmental Studies Center. Copley, J. V. (1999). Mathematics in the early years. Washington, DC: NAEYC. Cossentino, J., & Shaffer, D. W. (1999). The math studio: Harnessing the power of arts to teach across disciplines. Journal of Aesthetic Education, 33(3), 99–109. Forte, I. (1999). Grades K–1 numbers and counting: Inventive exercises to sharpen skills and raise achievement. Nashville, TN: Incentive Publications. Forte, I. (1999). Integrating instruction in math: Strategies, activities, projects, tools & techniques. Nashville, TN: Incentive Publications. Forte, I. (1999). Early learning experiences in math. Nashville, TN: Incentive Publications. Forte, I., & Frank, M. (1999). Geometry, measurement and graphing. Nashville, TN: Incentive Publications. Frank, M., & Preskenis, S. (1999). Grades 4–5 computation and numbers: Inventive exercises to sharpen skills and raise achievement. Nashville, TN: Incentive Publications. Hiebert, J., Carpenter, T. P., Fennema, E., Fuson, K. C., Wearne, D., Murray, H., Olivier, A., & Human, P. (1997). Making sense: Teaching and learning mathematics with understanding. Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann. Lang, F. K. (1998). What’s a “good guess” anyway? Teaching quantity and measurement estimation. Young Children, 54(4), 78–81. Kamii, C. (1998). The harmful effects of algorithms in grades 1–4. In L. J. Morrow & M. J. Kenney (Eds.), The teaching and learning of algorithms in school mathematics. Reston, VA: National Council of Teachers of Mathematics. Lappan, G., Fey, J. T., Fitzgerald, W. M., Friel, S. N., & Phillips, E. D. (1996-1998). Connected mathematics project. Palo Alto, CA: Dale Seymour Publications. National Research Council. (1996). National science education standards. Washington, DC: National Academy Press. Russell S. J. (1999). Mathematical reasoning in the elementary grades. In L. Stiff & F. R. Curcio (Eds.), The National Council of Teachers of Mathematics 1999 yearbook. Washington, DC: National Academy Press. Schwartz, S., & Brown, A. B. (1995, Feb.). Communicating with young children in mathematics: A unique challenge. Teaching Children Mathematics, 350–353. Shaw, J., & Blake, S. (1998). Mathematics for young children. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice-Hall. Trafton, P. R., & Thiessen, D. (1999). Learning through problems: Number sense and computational strategies. A resource for primary teachers. Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann.
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Thompson, I. (Ed.). (1997). Teaching and learning early numbers. Philadelphia, PA: Open Press.
BOOKS FOR CHILDREN PRESCHOOL Alda, A. (1998). Arlene Alda’s 1,2,3: What do you see? Berkeley, CA: Tricycle Press. Anastasio, D. (1993). It’s about time. New York: Putnam. Anno, M. (1997). Anno’s math games. New York: Putnam. Baker, A. (1994). Brown Rabbit’s shape book. Helena, MT: Kingfisher. Baker, A. (1998). Gray Rabbit’s 1,2,3. Helena, MT: Kingfisher. Baker, K. (1999). Quack and count. New York: Harcourt. Banner, A. (1991). Ant and Bee time. Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann. Banner, A. (1991). One, two, three with Ant and Bee. Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann. Boegehold, L. (1999). The gummi bear counting book. Ontario, Canada: Anness Publishing. Bolam, E. (1998). Mother Goose math. New York: Putnam. Bond, M. (1996). Paddington’s 123. New York: Putnam. Bryant, R. (1999). Hickory, dickory, dock: My first clock. Los Angeles: Tormont Publications. Buttefield, M. (1999). Learning clock. Boston: Todtri Productions. Carter, D. A. (1988). How many bugs in a box? New York: Little Simon. Carter, D. A. (1995). More bugs in boxes. New York: Little Simon. Crowther, R. (1999). Robert Crowther’s most amazing hide-and-seek numbers book. New York: Candlewick. Hague, K. (1999). Numbears: A counting book. New York: Holt. Hawksley, G., & Hawksley, G. (1999). Touch and feel surprises counting. Brookfield, CT: Millbrook Press. Heinst, M. (1999). My first number book. New York: DK Publishing. Henkes, K. (1999). Circle dogs. New York: Greenwillow. Hill, E. (1997). Spot’s big book of colors, shapes and numbers. New York: Viking. Hill, E. (1999). Spot can count. New York: Penguin. Hlodan, O. (1997). Monster math workbook. Cincinnati: NTC Publications. Hoban, T. (1995). 26 letters and 99 cents. New York: Morrow. Hoban, T. (1998). So many circles, so many squares. New York: Greenwillow. Hoban, T. (1999). Let’s count. New York: Greenwillow. Hunt, J. L. (1998). One, two, three: A through the window book of counting. Brookfield, CT: Millbrook. Hunt, J. L. (1998). Round and square: A through the window book of shapes. Brookfield, CT: Millbrook.
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Janovitz, M. (1994). Is it time? Miami, FL: North-South. Koeppel, R. (Ed.). (1999). Brought to you by the #2. New York: Random House. Koller, J. F. (1999). One monkey too many. New York: Harcourt. Landoll, Inc. (1999). Blue’s math with stickers. Ashland, OH: Author. Lee, K. (1998). Snappy little numbers: Count the numbers from 1 to 10. Brookfield, CT: Millbrook Press. Llewellyn, C. (1992). My first book of time. New York: DK Publishing. Llewellyn, C. (1998). Shapes: A math discovery sticker book. New York: Viking. Martin, D. (1998). Five little piggies. New York: Candlewick. McGrath, B. B. (1994). The M&M’s® counting book. Watertown, MA: Charlesbrigde. McGrath, B. B. (1998). More M&M’s® math. Watertown, MA: Charlesbridge. McGrath, B. B. (1998). The Cheerios counting book. New York: Scholastic. McGrath, B. B. (1999). The baseball counting book. Watertown, MA: Charlesbridge. Miller, M. (1998). Big and little. New York: Greenwillow. Milne, A. A. (1998). Pooh’s first clock. New York: Dutton. Ohanesian, D. C. (1999). Macaroni math. New York: McGraw-Hill. Pluckrose, H. (1995). Counting. Chicago: Children’s Press. Pluckrose, H. (1995). Numbers. Chicago: Children’s Press. Pluckrose, H. (1995). Pattern. Chicago: Children’s Press. Pluckrose, H. (1995). Shape. Chicago: Children’s Press. Pluckrose, H. (1995). Size. Chicago: Children’s Press. Pluckrose, H. (1995). Sorting. Chicago: Children’s Press. Pluckrose, H. (1995). Weight. Chicago: Children’s Press. Prater, J. (1999). Number one, tickle your tum. New York: Barron’s. Rankin, L. (1998). The handmade counting book. New York: Dial. Sabuda, R. (1997). Cookie count. New York: Little Simon. VanFleet, M. (1999). One yellow lion: Fold-out fun with numbers, colors, animals. New York: Penguin. Ziefert, H. (1997). Mother Goose math. New York: Penguin. Zoehfeld, K. W. (1999). Slide and seek numbers. New York: Disney Press.
KINDERGARTEN–GRADE 3 Adler, D. A. (1999). How tall, how short, how far away. New York: Holiday House. Axelrod, A. (1999). Pigs on the move: Fun with math and travel. New York: Simon & Schuster. Bolte, M., & Brown, M. (1999). Arthur’s magic math glasses: Grade 2 math book. Ashland, OH: American Educational Publishing. Braybrooks, A. (1998). Math mania. New York: Penguin.
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Brown, M. (1999). Arthur’s all-star game: Grade 3 math book. Ashland, OH: American Educational Publishing. Brown, M., & Kallet, J. (1999). Arthur goes shopping: Grade one math book. Ashland, OH: American Educational Publishing. Cron, M., Cheney, M. & Hlodan, O. (1999). Monster math super edition for ages 6-8. New York: Lowell House. Dorling Kindersley. (2000). Math puzzles. New York: Author. Douglas, K. (1998). Calculation station: Learning center projects for math. Everett, WA: Totline Publications. Downie, D., Stenmark, J. K., & Slesnick, T. (1999). Math for girls and other problem solvers. Berkeley, CA: University of California Press. Gills, S., & Tobola, D. (2000). The big buck math book. Watertown, MA: Charlesbridge. Greenberg, D. (2000). Mega-funny math poems & problems. New York: Scholastic. Hoban, T. (1998). So many circles, so many squares. New York: Greenwillow. Hugel, B. (1999). Secret-code math. New York: Scholastic. Hume, B. (1999). Math on display. Nashville, TN: Incentive Publications. Kane, J. (1999). A collection for Kate. New York: Kane Press. Kane, J. (1999). Count on Pablo. New York: Kane Press. Kane, J. (1999). Deena’s lucky penny. New York: Kane Press. Keenan, S. (2000). What time is it? A book of math riddles. New York: Scholastic. King, A., & Kenyon, T. (1999). Math for fun projects. Brookfield, CT: Millbrook. Lankford, M. D. (1998). Dominoes around the world. New York: Morrow. Ledwon, P., & Mets, M. (2000). Midnight math. New York: Holiday House. Leedy, L. (1998). Measuring Penny. New York: Holt. Maestro, B. (1999). The story of clocks & calendars: Marking a millenium. New York: Lothrop, Lee & Shepard. Martinelli, M. (2000). Brain Quest 1st grade math. Breighton Beach, WI: Workman Publishing. McGinley-Nally, S. (1999). Pigs go to market: Fun with math & shopping. New York: Simon & Schuster. McGinley-Nally, S. (1999). Pigs in the pantry: Fun with math & cooking. New York: Simon & Schuster. Mitchell, C. (1999). Math skills made fun: Dazzling math line design. New York: Scholastic. Neuschwander, C., & Geehan, W. (1999). Sir Cumference & the first round table: A math adventure. Helena, MT: Charlesbridge. Peterson, I. (1999). Math trek: Adventures in the math zone. New York: Wiley. Petty, K., & Maizels, J. (1998). The amazing pop-up multiplication book. New York: Dutton. Pierson, C. (1998). Moving with math extensions: Kindergarten book. New York: Math Teachers.
Rankin, L. (1998). The handmade counting book. New York: Dial. Rocklin, J. (2000). Just add fun! New York: Scholastic. Schwartz, D. M., & Meisel, P. (1999). On beyond a million: An amazing math journey. New York: Bantam Books. Scieszka, J. (1995). Math curse. New York: Viking. Silbey, R. (1999). Math hooks 1. Reading, MA: AddisonWesley. Silbey, R. (1999). Math hooks 2. Reading, MA: AddisonWesley. Trumbauer, L. (1999). Computer fun math. Brookfield, CT: Millbrook. White, L. B. (1994). Math-a-magic: Number tricks. Morton Grove, IL: Albert Whitman.
GRADES 4–5 Adler, I. (1990). Mathematics. New York: Doubleday. Barry, D. (1994). The Rajah’s rice: A mathematical folktale from India. New York: Scientific American. Bauer, J. (1996). Sticks. New York: Delacorte. Blum, R. (1991). Mathemagic. New York: Sterling. Connell, D. D., & Thurman, J. (1993). Despair in Monterey Day. East Lansing, MI: Freeman Press. Connell, D. D., & Thurman, J. (1994). The case of the willing parrot. New York: Scientific American. Connell, D. D., & Thurman, J. (1994). The map with a gap. New York: Scientific American. Cushman, J. (1991). Do you wanna bet?: Your chance to find out about probability. New York: Clarion. Edmiston, M. C. (1997). Fantastic book of math puzzles. New York: Sterling. Ganeri, A. (1998). The story of numbers and counting. New York: Oxford. Kaplan, M. (1990). The fifteenth peanut butter sandwich. LaGrange, GA: Four Winds. Kaplan, M. (1991). Henry and the boy who thought numbers were fleas. LaGrange, GA: Four Winds. Kerrod, R., & Baker, S. (1991). Weights and measures. Homes Beach, FL: Cavendish. Markle, S. (1993). Math mini-mysteries. New York: Atheneum. Markle, S. (1995). Measuring up: Experiments, puzzles, and games exploring measurement. New York: Atheneum. Markle, S. (1997). Discovering graph secrets: Experiments, puzzles, and games exploring graphs. New York: Atheneum. Morgan, R. (1997). In the next three seconds. New York: Lodestar. Murphy, S. J. (1999). Divide and ride. New York: HarperCollins. Parker, S. (1995). Galileo and the universe. Jamaica, NY: Chelsea. Riggs, S. (1996). Circles. Miami, FL: Benchmark. Riggs, S. (1996). Triangles. Miami, FL: Benchmark.
CHAPTER 20 Creative Mathematics
Sharman, L. (1994). The amazing book of shapes. Mendham, NJ: Dorling. Smoothey, M. (1992). Circles. Homes Beach, FL: Cavendish. Smoothey, M. (1992). Number patterns. Homes Beach, FL: Cavendish. Smoothey, M. (1992). Triangles. Homes Beach, FL: Cavendish. Smoothey, M. (1993). Statistics. Homes Beach, FL: Cavendish. Smoothey, M. (1993). Time, distance, and speed. Homes Beach, FL: Cavendish. Smoothey, M. (1994). Calculators. Homes Beach, FL: Cavendish. Smoothey, M. (1994). Estimating. Homes Beach, FL: Cavendish. Smoothey, M. (1994). Graphs. Homes Beach, FL: Cavendish. Smoothey, M. (1994). Maps and scale drawings. Homes Beach, FL: Cavendish. Stienecker, D. L. (1996). Patterns. Miami, FL: Benchmark. Stienecker, D. L. (1996). Polygons. Miami, FL: Benchmark. Stienecker, D. L. (1996). Rectangles. Miami, FL: Benchmark. Stienecker, D. L. (1996). Three-dimensional shapes. Miami, FL: Benchmark. VanCleave, J. (1994). Janice VanCleave’s geometry for every kid: Easy activities that make learning geometry fun. New York: Wiley. Vorderman, C. (1996). How math works. Pleasantville, NY: Reader’s Digest Children’s Pub. Wade, M. D. (1995). Ada Byron Lovelace: The lady and the computer. New York: Dillon. Wyler, R., & Elting, M. (1992). Math fun: Test your luck. Parsippany, NJ: Messner. Wyler, R., & Elting, M. (1992). Math fun with a pocket calculator. Parsippany, NJ: Messner. Wyler, R., & Elting, M. (1992). Math fun with money puzzlers. Parsippany, NJ: Messner. Wyler, R., & Elting, M. (1992). Math fun with tricky lines and shapes. Parsippany, NJ: Messner. Yates, I. (1997). All about shape. Miami, FL: Benchmark.
SOFTWARE FOR CHILDREN Blocks in motion. (Ages 3–up). (1995). Volo, IL: Don Johnston, Inc.
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Gold medal math. (Grades 2–6). (1999). Bloomington, IL: Edventure Software. Hands-on math. (Grades K–8). (1998). Grover Beach, CA: Ventura Educational Systems. Jump start math mystery. (Ages 4–8). (1999). Torrance, CA: Havas/Knowledge Adventure. Math blaster. (Ages 4–6). (1998). Torrance, CA: Havas/ Davidson. Math blaster for 1st grade. (Ages 3–6). (1998). Torrance, CA: Knowledge Adventure. Math blaster for 5th grade. (1999). Torrance, CA: Havas/ Knowledge Adventure. Math detective. (Ages 7–up). (1998). Cambridge, MA: The Learning Company. Math mysteries, whole numbers. (Grades 4–6). (1999). Watertown, MA: Tom Snyder Productions. Math shark. (Grades K–12). (1998). Carson, CA: Educational Insights. Math shop deluxe. (Grades 3–7). (1999). New York. Weston Woods. Mathville. (Grades K–9). (1999). Burnaby, British Columbia: Ingenuity Works. Mind twister math. (Grades 3–4). (1999). Redmond, WA: Edmark. Ms Infinity’s math mansion. (Grade specific). (1998). Raleigh, NC: Rainbow Educational. Number maze challenge. (Grades K–6). (1999). Scotts Valley, CA: GretWave Software. Numbers undercover. (Grades 2–5). (1998). Pleasantville, NY: Sunburst Communications. Piggy in numberland. (Grades Pre-K–1). (1998). Santa Cruz, CA: Learning in Motion. Ready for math with Pooh. (Ages 3–5). (1998). Burbank, CA: Buena Vista Software. Star math. (Grades K–12). (1998). Wisconsin Rapids, WI: Advantage Learning Systems. The nautical number hunt. (Grades 3–6). (1999). Redmond, WA: Edmark. The quarter mile math games. (Grades K–9). (1998). Oakland,CA: Barnum Software. Total class-math. (Grades K–6). (1998). Atlanta, GA: Optical Data.
For additional creative activity resources, visit our Web site at www.EarlyChildEd.delmar.com.
CREATIVE FOOD EXPERIENCES OBJECTIVES After studying this chapter, you should be able to: 1. Describe four ways in which food activities develop children’s skills. 2. List several ways to help make food experiences more creative. 3. Give an example of a creative food experience and the necessary steps involved.
C
hildren learn best when they experience the world firsthand—by touch, taste, smell, sight, and hearing. If you wish to make the most of any food experience, children must be directly involved with real food and given as much responsibility as possible for growing, selecting, preparing, and eating the food. Activities involving foods are included in most programs for young children. However, many of the food activities are under the complete direction of the teacher. The children sit and watch the teacher do the work. Sometimes the children are given spoons and told to stir a mixture or are allowed to pour liquids from one container to another. Sometimes they are given the job of listening for a timer to “ding.” Rarely is the child allowed to decide what foods to use, how to use them, in what order to mix them, or for how long to stir things. The use of foods in a classroom can be one of the most creative parts of the program. Foods are a part of
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each child’s experience. Foods and cooking are interesting to children. All of their senses are used in food activities. They see the foods. They smell them, touch them, and taste them. The children can hear many kinds of foods boiling, popping, or frying. Other learning is enhanced by food activities, too. Art, science, and aesthetics are all related to cooking in some way.
IMPORTANCE OF FOOD EXPERIENCES TO THE TOTAL PROGRAM CONCEPT BUILDING Food activities help children develop new concepts in many areas such as language arts, science, health and safety, and mathematics.
CHAPTER 21 Creative Food Experiences
FIGURE 21–1
Children enjoy food activities at any age.
Children learn to describe things. Children experience many shapes, sizes, and colors. They see that some things start out in a round shape and become long and flat during the cooking process. Many foods change in size when they are heated; some change in texture and color. Foods come in many colors, and the colors sometimes change with mixing, heating, or cooling. The child thus learns to name shapes, compare sizes, and describe colors.
FIGURE 21–2
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Preparing food is a pleasant activity for young children.
vocabulary. Children may learn the words delicious and tasty. They learn a more complete meaning of terms like liquid and solid, freezing and boiling, smelly and odorless. When the words relate to direct experiences, the child’s vocabulary grows. The following scene is an example of how all these skills are developed in a simple food experience.
Children learn to express themselves.
The making of pudding went over quite well, as do all food-oriented activities. My organization ahead of time helped it to be a pleasant and not too disorganized activity! We used instant pudding and it required a specified amount of milk to be added. This fact helped us discuss the number of cups of milk we would need, as well as the concept of milk and nutrition, etc. They poured out the milk, measuring the amounts, and all had a chance to use the hand rotary beater to beat the pudding. This was good small motor exercise for them all. They poured out the pudding (a bit messy!). Then we had to wait for five minutes for it to set, and this helped introduce the idea of time and where the clock’s hands would be when five minutes went by. All these things were discussed in making the pudding, so I feel that it was a true learning experience for all. However, I’m sure the children enjoyed eating the pudding at the end of the learning experience the best!
Language develops as a result of food experiences. Words like bitter, sour, sweet, and salty have real meaning. Hot, cold, warm, and cool are part of the food
Many concepts can be discussed in an informal situation such as this. I hope to use many
Children learn about tastes. Children find out how heating or mixing changes taste. They learn that some things, such as salt or sugar, can change the taste of foods. They discover that some foods taste good when they are mixed together and that others do not. They also learn that a change in the outward appearance of some foods does not mean that the foods taste any different. Apple juice has the same flavor as a whole apple. Frozen orange pops taste like orange juice and a frozen banana tastes just like banana ice cream. Children observe changes. As they did in science activities, children observe that foods change from liquids to solids and from solids to liquids. They also see steam (a gas) rising from liquids that are heated. They smell odors—some good and some bad—as foods change from solids to liquids to gases. They see how ingredients when mixed together form a new substance. In baking, this same substance changes even more.
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SECTION 6 Creative Activities in Other Curricular Areas
more such situations when I assume my role as a teacher of young children. Learning under such a natural and relaxed atmosphere was a pleasure for both myself and the children (author’s log).
Children learn about others. Food activities can be used throughout the curriculum to enhance children’s learning. For example, a project on different breads from around the world can be used to teach about the diversity of people in the world and the many types of bread individuals eat. A literature table can be set up to include children’s books about bread (see end of chapter for suggestions). Children can make many types of breads from different cultures. Discussion can be held on how families and cultures use bread in celebrations and traditions. Children’s literature provides many examples of how people in many different lands prepare and eat a wide variety of breads. Cooking activities can include tortillas, wontons, waffles, fry bread, challah, hoe cakes, bagels, pasta, hush puppies, latkes, fortune cookies, to name just a few multicultural foods. Each of these foods can be used in connection with other projects to make a multicultural experience. (See Chapters 24–27 for more information on multicultural curriculum and activities.)
SKILL BUILDING
understand that the amount of each ingredient used makes a difference in the final product. This realization leads the child to look for ways to figure out amounts. This is when measuring tools are discovered.
Social skills. Food experiences are a natural avenue for social learning. Mixing, measuring, decorating, and eating all provide many opportunities for talking with others, exchanging ideas, sharing likes and dislikes, and learning about each other. You will find that in preparing food, children many times will talk more freely about themselves and their lives in the homey, routine nature of this type of activity. In cooking, a child may need help in holding a pan steady while pouring something into it. He may need help in carrying ingredients or finding certain foods. One child may need an “expert” opinion on how much lemon to squeeze into a drink. These things call for working together. As children work together, social skills develop in the natural give-and-take of group experiences. HEALTH AND SAFETY As children are involved in food experiences, they learn some basic information on routines and cautions about food and cooking necessary to good health and safety. This information is best learned in the process of working with food and not as a “lecture” type lesson.
There are a number of skills that children can learn from working with foods. These skills can be developed during other parts of the program also, but working with food is an excellent way to build skills in fun activities.
Small-muscle coordination. Mixing foods and pouring liquids from one container to another are ways in which children develop coordination. The small muscles in the hands develop so that a child can hold a large spoon and help in the mixing process when using a recipe. The measuring, pouring, and mixing of foods all require the use of small muscles as well as hand-eye coordination. Thus, food activities provide excellent small motor activities for young children.
Simple measuring skills. By using cups and spoons that have marks showing amounts, a child begins to understand measurements. The child is able to observe that a tablespoon is larger than a teaspoon and that a cup holds more than a tablespoon. The child can also begin to realize that by using too much flour, water, or salt, recipes don’t turn out quite as well as if the correct amounts are used. The child begins to
FIGURE 21–3
Children learn positive food attitudes from adults.
CHAPTER 21 Creative Food Experiences
FIGURE 21–5 FIGURE 21–4
Food experiences are a natural avenue for social learning.
For example, learning that cleanliness is important in all food preparation can be taught as children work with food. Both children and adults always wash their hands with soap and water before beginning any food experience. Aprons or other cover-ups may also be necessary, especially if you are preparing foods that stain easily. Children may need encouragement to keep fingers and utensils out of their mouths while preparing food. If they do lick fingers or spoons, simply and calmly ask the children to wash them before proceeding. This is a good opportunity to teach children about germs and how they are transmitted. Tasting is also a good opportunity to help children learn about how foods taste at various stages of preparation and to observe changes in texture. However, no products containing raw eggs should be eaten before being fully cooked. Raw eggs are a source of salmonella bacteria and can cause digestive problems. Any cooking adventure involving heat, sharp knives, or operating appliances should be carefully supervised. Sharp knives are rarely needed, since plastic serrated knives will slice most produce and are much safer for even very young children. Children will need to be cautioned when observing food in the oven or on the range burner; utensil handles should be turned toward the center of the range at all times. Since electric burners don’t always appear to be hot, children will need to learn how to identify when the burner is on, by recognizing the position of the switch or by reading “on,” “off,” “high,” or “low,” and by being made aware that
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Older children enjoy food activities as much as younger children.
the burner remains hot for a while even after it has been turned off. All of these are important health and safety lessons for young children in food experiences. Finally, food allergies are very common among young children, and before planning any experience, you will need to know which children are allergic to specific foods. Some children may also have ethnic food restrictions that prohibit their eating certain foods as well. Every adult participating in food activities, whether teacher, cook, parent, or community volunteer, must have this information. If fresh produce is to be used, adults must know what parts of plants are poisonous. Children should learn that these parts and any other wild plant must never be eaten.
FIGURE 21–6
Children enjoy eating their food creations.
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crimination of size and shape are all involved in cooking experiences. Discuss each of these objects and activities as you go along, working with small groups so everyone gets a turn. Children learn better when they do than when they merely look and listen. Older children can handle measuring and mixing ingredients on their own. You can challenge their math skills by asking them to measure the ingredients for one-half of the recipe you’re going to use. Or they can figure out how to double or triple the recipe for a larger group.
Science. Cooking develops sensory skills. It involves physical and chemical changes, the use of simple
FIGURE 21–7
In food activities, children develop and expand their tastes in food.
1.
CURRICULUM AREAS Cooking does more than build physical, health and safety, and social skills. It is an ideal project for just about all of the curriculum areas. It involves reading, math, science, creative activities, opportunities for independent learning and following directions, and drawing and writing activities. Let’s look briefly at these different areas.
2.
One cup water
Reading. For pre-kindergarten children, drawings with words and numbers, can be used to help children understand the recipe. (See picture recipes in Figures 21–8, 21–9 and 21–10.) This is a good warm-up activity for reading in kindergarten or the primary grades. Older children can read the recipe, which itself is good practice. Many books, for both preschool and elementary age, talk about food and cooking. (See chapter end for recommended books.) Display some of these books in your library area for the children to look at. If you find a book that applies to a specific cooking experience, read it to the group before beginning to cook. In the language arts center, furnish a tape recorder for children’s dictation of their real and fantastic recipes. Provide paper and art materials for later transcription into books.
3. 15 minutes
4.
SUG
AR
1/4 cup sugar
5.
Math. For most recipes, measuring instruments—cups, tablespoons, and teaspoons—are required. It’s also helpful and interesting to have a food scale for measuring as well. Sequencing (measuring, mixing, and then baking), estimating, counting, adding, fractions, and dis-
FIGURE 21–8
Picture recipe for applesauce (recipe at end of chapter).
CHAPTER 21 Creative Food Experiences
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machines, and predicting the outcome of a cooking experiment. For example, when making cookies, place all the ingredients on the table and give everyone a chance to smell, touch, and taste each one. Then mix the ingredients with spoons, forks, or eggbeaters. Ask the children about shape and texture as you mix. Ask them to predict the outcome of your cooking experience. Then, after baking, compare your predictions with the results. Older children can suggest ways to alter the recipe to make it turn out in a different ways. They enjoy experimenting with different spices to give their recipes a new and special flavor.
with a frozen banana? Make ice cream! (Put chunks of frozen banana in a blender with just a hint of milk, blend until thick, and eat immediately.) How do bananas taste when they’re sliced in circles? Try it and see.
Science center. Provide open-ended activities for cooking explorations. For instance, try a taste test of all the different ways apples are used in cooking and eating: apple juice, cider, sauce, butter, dried, even apple cider vinegar. Or compare the appearance, taste, and texture of red, green, and yellow apples. You can also explore bananas: Brainstorm a list of how many different ways you can cook or eat them. What can you do
Drawing and writing. Have the children dictate sto-
Creative activities. Almost all recipes can be extended, modified, changed, or given an unexpected twist. Use your imagination, and, more important, get the children to use theirs! Use a soft pretzel recipe (recipe at end of chapter) to make animals or three-dimensional sculptures instead of the traditional pretzel shape. Add food coloring to the coating mixture (in the recipe) and paint your animals or sculptures before baking.
ries, anecdotes from home, and highlights of their experiences cooking in your classroom. Involve parents and other volunteers in this activity. Those children who wish to can tell and draw about the day’s cooking activity. Older children can keep personal journals of their cooking experiences. They may want to select certain favorite recipes and make up their own cookbooks.
1.
1. 2.
2. 3. 1/4 cup milk
3. PEANUT BUTTER
4. One cup yogurt
4.
5. Ice cubes
FIGURE 21–9
Picture recipe for banana apple icy (recipe at end of chapter).
FIGURE 21–10
Picture recipe for apple sandwich (recipe at end of chapter).
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FOOD ACTIVITIES THAT HELP CHILDREN’S CREATIVITY The following are some guidelines to use to ensure that food experiences for young children are planned to enhance their creativity. 1. Activities should be open. If all children must follow the same directions at the same time, they will not become creative. In fact, just the opposite will happen. The children will be conformers and do only what the teacher tells them to do. Teachers who want to help children be creative must help them be open. The teacher must let the children create their own directions and work at their own pace. 2. Activities should be challenging, but not too difficult for the children. If food activities are too hard, children will give up and quit. If they are too easy, the children will not be challenged. It is important to start with easy things. It is also important to increase the possibilities, so children will do more challenging things as they go on. 3. Activities should be varied. Children get bored if they do the same thing day after day. Variety is needed. Children should work with foods they know. They should also work with new foods they have not seen or tasted before. Some activities should be very short. Others should take a longer time to finish. In some activities, children may use just one type of food. In others, they may mix in several ingredients. 4. The process is more important than the product. Emphasis should not be placed on what the children create, but on how they have done it. If only the final product is considered, then many children will fail. Things do not always taste good— especially when children create new recipes. But if children are rewarded for the way they create, then what they have created does not seem so important. 5. Inexpensive materials and small amounts should be used. No child should feel badly if a recipe does not work. If ingredients are inexpensive, there is less chance that children will be made to feel discouraged because something they made did not taste very good. 6. Activities should be carried out in a variety of places. Food activities do not have to be limited to the indoors. They can also be done outside the
classroom. They work well on the school grounds or in a nearby woods. Note: An important restriction for outdoor cooking is for the teacher to see and inspect all food before it is used. Poison mushrooms and berries are sometimes gathered by children. These foods must be avoided.
GETTING STARTED PLANNING Careful planning is crucial to successful food experiences. All ingredients (in sufficient quantities) need to be purchased, utensils assembled, and objectives for the activity established. Children’s abilities should be matched to the food experience so that the adult does not carry out the preparation while the children watch. Depending on the complexity of the recipe, the number of children, and the time available, it may at times be necessary for the adult to complete some tasks or to use prepared foods such as peanut butter. Keep in mind, however, that the more the adult does, the less the children learn. The extra time children take learning is well spent. Objectives for the children’s learning will help focus the activity for the adults involved. Do you want children to successfully cut celery into finger-sized strips? Is your objective to have the children sample a variety of food textures and discuss the differences? Will children try less familiar foods? Is your goal to facilitate cooperative work in a small group? Common goals for food experiences for young children include strengthening their manipulative skills, expanding their knowledge about nutrition, and trying new foods. You will want to develop your own objectives for each recipe you choose based on your knowledge about the children in the group. Goals for very young or inexperienced children will be different from those for more advanced food preparers. Initially, try to plan food preparation activities that involve only one or two skills and a limited number of ingredients. Squeezing orange juice involves one ingredient and two skills, squeezing and pouring. Washing vegetables or fruits (in a basin to conserve water, rather than under running water) and possibly then cutting them into convenient pieces is also a good beginning activity. For children who are just becoming competent in balancing, pouring, or cutting, these tasks are a real challenge. The following list will help you prepare for successful food experiences.
CHAPTER 21 Creative Food Experiences
Things to remember when planning cooking activities. 1. Work out ahead of time a sequence of steps for the activity. 2. Plan a series of activities that are gradually more complex. 3. Encourage the children to talk about what they are doing. 4. Relate the activity to home experiences. 5. Give the names for new foods, processes, and equipment used. 6. When appropriate, involve the children in getting supplies for the activities. 7. Encourage discussion of what has been done. Allow a good amount of time for tasting and touching. 8. Use follow-up activities to reinforce the learning. (See Figure 21–11).
INTEGRATED FOOD UNITS—ELEMENTARY LEVEL Too often in the elementary school teachers plan food activities as “special events” or simply as an add-on to other curriculum areas. Few teachers attempt to integrate food activities into the elementary curriculum. Yet, it is quite possible to develop units based on food and food groups and to integrate learning activities from all areas of the curriculum. The following are two examples of integrated food units for the elementary school level. These units will get you started on developing many of your own integrated food units. POTATO UNIT This unit begins with the reading of Tomie de Paola’s book Jamie O’Rourke and the Big Potato (1992). (Or you could also use McDonald’s The Potato Man, 1996.) After reading the book to the group, make it available for them to read on their own for at least a week. Use the book as a basis for student’s research on the history of the potato and about Ireland. Have the children write factual reports on these topics. They can then be compiled into a class Potato Book. Use a 10-lb. bag of potatoes as a source of math experiences. Challenge the children to estimate the number of potatoes in the bag. Then help them sequence their
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estimations in numerical order (ascending or descending). Then have them actually count the potatoes. Discuss their estimates and compare the actual number of potatoes to these estimates. Have them make up a summary graph showing the range of numbers between the estimates and actual number of potatoes. Then give each child a potato and have them count its eyes, estimate, then measure the circumference, and graph the results. Then, using a balance scale, have the children weigh each potato. Discuss with the children the nutritional value of potatoes as you make dishes using recipes from the children’s families. VEGETABLE SOUP Two books that are good to read at the beginning of this unit are Growing Vegetable Soup by L. Ehlert (1987) and Neighborhood Soup by J. Nelson (1990). These books can be used as the basis for several related activities, such as a plant and vegetable growing activity. During the plant activity, children can plant seeds and observe their growth. Children can also keep written records of plant growth under a variety of conditions, including without light and without water. Have the children use seed catalogues and real vegetables to examine the edible parts of various plants. Then, have them taste a variety of vegetables—raw and cooked—and compare the nutritional value of each. Then, use the raw vegetables in the art center for making vegetable prints. Have the children work cooperatively to make the neighborhood soup. Then discuss the creation of new soups. Have the children brainstorm ingredients for their original soups and also create labels for their own soup cans. Have them work together to present a play based on the Neighborhood Soup story. Preparations can include making props and promotional posters. ACTIVITIES FOR TODDLERS AND TWO- AND THREE-YEAR-OLDS Even though food preparation activities are included in the early childhood program for children three years and up, adults are often inclined to think that children under the age of three would just make a mess. For example, many cooks in early childhood centers do not want to be bothered, and of course young children underfoot in a kitchen increase the risk of accidents and injuries. An alternative is to bring the foods and the appropriate utensils for cooking activities to the children’s room. The term cooking activities in this instance includes all the steps necessary in the preparation and
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USING FOOD IN SCIENCE ACTIVITIES
TABLE ACTIVITIES—FOOD EXPERIENCES
■ plant an outdoor or indoor garden
■ sewing cards with food pictures
■ have a tasting party
■ dishpans of beans with funnels, measuring cups
■ arrange unusual foods on a science table
■ food scale with beans for weighing
■ place carrot, beet, or pineapple tops in a shallow
■ balance for weighing
bowl of crushed stones or pebbles covered with water ■ cut off the top third of a sweet potato and put it in
water. Allow sprouts to vine at the top. Hold the potato part way out of the water
FIELD TRIPS—FOOD EXPERIENCES ■ grocery store ■ vegetable garden
■ examine a coconut, then break it open
■ fruit orchard
■ examine and cut a fresh pineapple
■ school kitchen
■ taste baby foods
■ bakery
■ place seed catalogs on the reading shelf
■ restaurant
■ make a food dictionary
■ pizza parlor
■ draw pictures of your favorite foods from each food
■ ice cream store
group. Make a meal: Draw a picture of a plate and cup and fill them with your foods to make a nutritious meal. Make sure you label each food.
■ fruit and vegetable stand ■ bottling company ■ dairy ■ canning factory
CREATIVE ART ACTIVITIES WITH FOOD ■ fruit-colored play dough
■ hatchery ■ cornfield, strawberry or melon patch ■ kitchen of one of the children’s family
■ potato printing ■ broken eggshells on paintings
GAMES FOR COOKING
■ child-made food books
EXPERIENCES
Foods I Like Fruits I Like Foods My Daddy (or Mommy, Sister, etc.) Likes ■ a class mural made of pictures of foods ■ creating flannelboard pictures (have foods cut from
■ Can You Remember? (display foods on a tray; cover;
try to remember where each is) ■ How Many? (different foods, etc.) ■ Which? (foods that can be eaten raw, foods that are
yellow, etc.)
flannel for child to arrange on a flannel or story board)
■ Grouping (those that are yellow, those that are
■ food pictures cut from newspaper or magazine
■ Touch and Tell (place food in a bag; have child feel
advertisements to paste on colored paper ■ have children paste pictures of foods on a chart
with areas for fruits and vegetables, breads, milk, and meats ■ make picture charts of favorite recipes
FIGURE 21–11
Follow-up activities to reinforce learning.
eaten for breakfast, etc.) and try to identify) ■ Smell and Tell (have child close eyes and try to
identify food by smelling) ■ Guess What? (describe the characteristics of food;
children try to identify)
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You May Not Know About Fruit
■ Some fruits, especially dried fruits, berries, and solid fruits such as pears are good sources of fiber. Offer children wedges of seedless oranges and apples. They have fiber that’s lost when they’re made into juice. ■ Generally, the more color a fruit (or vegetable) has, the more vitamins and minerals it contains. ■ For toddlers, avoid fruits with seeds. Pay special attention as toddlers eat dried or frozen fruits and cut firm fruits to be sure they don’t choke on the hard bits of food. ■ Bananas and avocados are favorites of young children because the fruits’ textures are appealing. Both are rich in potassium and other minerals. ■ Products marked “juice” must contain 100 percent juice. “Drinks,” “ades,” “punches,” “cocktails,” and other beverages may be little more than fruit-flavored sugar water. ■ Giving a child juice made from concentrate is a good way to provide fluoride if your water supply is fluoridated. ■ Juice is a food. Give it only once or twice a day so children won’t fill up on it and not eat other foods. Encourage plain water for thirst (Hess, et al., 1990).
serving of foods, with or without the use of heat. The cooking-related activities that follow are listed in progressive order, from the simple to the more involved. Many toddlers and two-year-olds are able to master many of these activities, and most three-year-olds are capable of mastering them all. 1. exploring cooking utensils (banging, nesting, putting away) 2. exploring cooking utensils with water (cups, bowls, beaters, spoons, funnels) 3. pouring dry ingredients (corn, rice) 4. pouring wet ingredients (water)
band to mark desired amount on container or measuring cup) 13. placing toppings on pizza or snacks; decorating cookies or crackers that have been spread 14. spreading on bread or crackers 15. pouring milk or juices to drink 16. shaking (making butter from cream or coloring sugar or coconut) 17. rolling with both hands (peanut butter balls, pieces of dough for cookies) 18. juicing with a hand juicer 19. peeling hard-cooked eggs, fruits
5. tasting fresh fruit and vegetables
20. cutting with dull knife (fruits, vegetables, cheese)
6. comparing tastes, textures, colors of fresh fruits and vegetables
21. beating with fork or egg beater
7. comparing tastes, textures, colors of canned vegetables and fruits
23. kneading bread dough
8. dipping raw fruits and vegetables in dip or sauce
22. grinding with hand grinder (apples or cranberries) 24. cleaning up
9. scrubbing vegetables with brushes 10. breaking or tearing lettuce; breaking or snapping beans; shelling peas 11. stirring and mixing wet and dry ingredients 12. measuring wet and dry ingredients (use rubber
REDUCING SUGAR IN CHILDREN’S DIETS Research on the human infant shows that even infants prefer sweet over bitter or sour taste (Ausubel, 1980).
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This preference posed no problem when early human diets consisted of natural fruit and vegetable sources of sweetness. However, when refined sugar came into our diets, the total amount of sugar consumed increased dramatically. Although we do not know what proportion of all of this sugar is consumed by children, we do know many parents and teachers are trying to limit children’s sugar consumption for two main reasons: the danger of tooth decay and a diet with too many empty calories.
Tooth decay. If teeth are not brushed frequently, sugars can cause tooth decay—dental caries or what are more commonly called “cavities.” One way to avoid dental caries is to avoid foods that are high in sugar.
However, some of the foods that are most likely to cause cavities (because they are high in fruit sugar or fructose) are very nutritious. Another sugar, lactose, is contained in milk. Obviously, it would not be appropriate to eliminate all sugar-containing foods. A more preferable goal is to eliminate those foods that are high in sugars and low in nutritional value.
Empty calories, the prevention of obesity. Nutritionists and pediatricians concur that infantile and childhood obesity should be prevented. Not all fat children are destined to become fat adults. Conversely, not all fat adults were fat children. However, there is evidence that obesity that begins in childhood is difficult to reverse (Goodnow & Collins, 1991).
Web Sites for Food Activity Ideas
Here are some Web sites that are designed as sources of nutritional information for teachers. Nutrition and Environmental Resources. Current nutrition and environmental education for K–12 includes teaching kits, student masters for classroom instruction, and more than a dozen hot links. Sponsored by the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (www.TeachFree.com). Fast Food Facts. This Web site allows users to search the nutritional analysis of favorite fast foods. (www.olen.com/food). Nutrition and Weight Management. Calorie Control Council’s Web site provides timely information on lowcalorie and reduced-fat foods and beverages, weight management, physical activity, and healthy eating, including recipes (www.caloriecontrol.org). Shape Up America. This organization has a new support center on the Internet to assist consumers in individualized weight management. Developed in consultation with experts in behavior modification, nutrition, and physical activity, the center provides weight control help on a 24-hour basis (www.shapeup.com). The Kid’s Food Cyber Club provides food and nutrition ideas for children. Visit their Web site at (www.kidsfood.org). US Dept. of Agriculture has developed a Food Guide Pyramid for young children. This pyramid provides educational messages that focus on children’s food preferences and nutrition requirements. The key point of the pyramid is to eat a variety of foods. An accompanying booklet, “Tips for Using the Food Guide Pyramid for Young Children 2–6 Years Old” is available for teachers and parents. These materials can be accessed at their Web site (www.usda.gov/cnpp). Children and Adult Food Program. The Nutrition Services of the Nebraska Department of Education have a detailed chart for children ages 1 to 12 years of age on their Child and Adult Care Food Program Web site (nde4.nde.state.ne.us/NS/chartkid.htm). National Dairy Council. They can be visited at (www.dairyinfo.com). Food and Nutrition Information Education Resources Center. For information, visit (www.nalusda .gov/fnic).
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Individual Cooking Activities in Interest Centers: A Free-Choice Activity It’s John’s turn to “cook” during free-choice activity time. First, he washes his hands; second, he puts on a white paper chef’s hat, and third, begins cutting fruit into bite-sized pieces with a plastic knife. He is following a picture recipe and will eventually put the fruit on a skewer to make a fruit kabob for his snack to be eaten later with his classmates. And, he made his snack all by himself! Independent snack preparation can easily be set up in the classroom with some basic equipment and recipes designed for individual portions. Below are ideas and recipes to help you get started cooking independently in your classroom. Cut off one of the end flaps of a sturdy cardboard box and cut the box apart at the side seam so it will stand up using the other end flaps as supports. This will be your instruction “board.” Cover the entire box with colorful contact papers. The box can be set up on a table to designate your snack and work area. Sequential picture recipes can be clipped to each section of the box/board. For example, the pictures in sequence would indicate to (1) wash hands, (2) cut fruit into pieces, (3) put fruit on skewer, and (4) place on paper plate with name on plate. Basic equipment for your snack activity center would include measuring cups, small bowls, tongue depressors, small wire whisks, five-ounce paper cups, plastic serrated knives, electric skillet, blender, and paper chef’s hats. AN ELECTRIC APPLIANCE IS OPERATED BY ADULTS ONLY. After you’ve designated your snack area and gathered your equipment, you’re ready to begin with the recipes that follow. Before each child actually begins the snack preparation, gather the children in a group, tell them briefly about the recipe, and remind them of any specific directions. For example, a direction might be that each child may cut up only one slice of melon. While one or two children are working in the snack area, the teacher always needs to be available for assistance as the children need it.
PEANUT BUTTER PUDDING FOR ONE You’ll need: 2 tablespoons dry milk; 2 tablespoons instant vanilla pudding mix; 13 cup water; 1 tablespoon fresh peanut butter (no sugar added) What to do: 1. Using a tongue depressor for leveling dry ingredients, measure dry milk and pudding mix in 5-ounce paper cup. 2. Add water and stir using a small whisk, 1- 12 minutes. 3. Add peanut butter and whisk until smooth. 4. Chill. LETTUCE WRAP-AROUNDS You’ll need: lettuce leaves; any combination of luncheon meats or cheese slices, or spreads such as cream cheese, peanut butter, or egg salad What to do: 1. Lay lettuce leaf flat on cutting board. 2. Place meat and/or cheese slice on lettuce leaf. 3. Add a spread or other filler and roll up the combination securing with a toothpick. These may be eaten rolled up or can be cut into bite-sized pieces with a serrated knife. BANANA SHAKE BAG You’ll need: 14 cup chopped peanuts; 1 banana What to do: 1. After peeling banana, cut in one-inch chunks. 2. Place peanuts in a plastic baggie. 3. Put a few banana chunks at a time in the bag and shake. Serve bananas on paper plates. PINEAPPLE MIX-UP You’ll need: 14 cup plus 1 tablespoon instant nonfat dry milk; 12 cup pineapple juice, chilled; 12 cup cracked ice What to do: 1. For cracked ice, wrap some ice cubes in a towel and pound with a hammer. 2. Combine all ingredients in a blender and blend on high 30 seconds until thick and foamy. Watch the food disappear at snack time because the children love these activities. Don’t forget the paper chef’s hats (available at a party store) or you can make your own hats! The hats make the children feel even more special, like “professional” chefs.
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Malnutrition
Although most children in the United States appear to be well nourished, groups exist within our population with evidence of malnutrition. Approximately 13.6 million American children, from families with low socioeconomic status, suffer from malnutrition (Birch, 1996). Further, 25 to 29% of American children between the ages of 6 and 11 are overweight—primarily because of poor eating habits (USDA, 1995). These children are at risk for high blood pressure and diabetes as well as emotional, social, and academic problems. Many factors determine a child’s need for nutrients, including body size, rate of growth, and physical activity. Over the years, food guides have been developed to assist the public in diet selection by indicating various types of foods that support growth and development and reduce the risk of nutritional deficiency diseases. The most recent of these is the food pyramid, released by the Department of Agriculture in 1992. The food pyramid, which has taken the place of the old food wheel with its four basic food groups, illustrates a balanced diet that is strong on grains, vegetables, and fruits and lighter on meat, poultry, fish, eggs, and dairy foods. The base of the pyramid depicts complex carbohydrates such as bread and cereal that should be consumed in greater quantities. At the top are fats and sugars, which should be eaten sparingly, and between are a variety of foods positioned according to the number of daily recommended servings (Fuhr & Barclay, 1998, p. 74).
The best plan to prevent obesity in children is to balance their caloric intake with the number of calories they expend through exercise. Children who are overweight may also have a tendency to overeat, so they may need to reduce their consumption of empty calories as well as the size of their portions. The best way to reduce obesity is to limit empty calories—foods high in fat or sugar but low in protein, vitamins, and/or minerals. Sugar is not the only source of empty calories. High-fat and/or high-salt snacks should also be eliminated. Good choices then for snacks and meals will include vegetables, fruits, and protein-rich items. Because young children have a limited capacity for food intake and because 22 percent of their caloric intake comes from snacks, it is important that empty calories be avoided. Snacks, as well as meals, must center around foods that contribute to children’s need for a balanced diet.
How to limit children’s sugar intake. There are four primary ways to limit children’s sugar intake: (1) avoid obvious sources of high-sugar foods, (2) avoid “hidden” sugars, (3) find alternative sources of sweetness or reduce the amount of sugar, and (4) find other ways to celebrate special events.
Avoid high-sugar foods. The term sugar is generally used to refer to “sucrose,” which is refined sugar from sugar cane or beets. The most common form of sucrose is white, granulated table sugar. This type of sugar is an ingredient in cakes, cookies, doughnuts, pies, candy, and soft drinks. One obvious way to reduce sugar intake is to reduce the intake of these foods. Another method is to use one half or less of the sugar called for in a recipe. Other common forms of sugar are fructose, dextrose, lactose, and maltose. Read the list of ingredients on prepared foods and watch for words ending with “ose,” which indicates that some form of sugar is present. These different forms of sugar have varying degrees of sweetness. For example, “lactose” (milk sugar) is the least sweet per unit. Fructose is nearly twice as sweet as sucrose, and invert sugar is about 30 percent sweeter than sucrose. All, however, provide basically empty calories. Avoid hidden sugars. Most parents and teachers are aware that foods like candy, cake, and soft drinks contain sugar and are low in nutritional value. Very few people are aware, however, that sugar is also present in catsup, peanut butter, luncheon meats, hot dogs, pork and beans, nondairy creamer, fruit-flavored yogurt, and canned vegetables. Although these foods do contain
CHAPTER 21 Creative Food Experiences
nutrients, the addition of sugar is usually unnecessary. Use foods that contain no sugar. Find alternative sources of sweetness. Snacks and desserts of unsweetened foods can be emphasized at home and school. Examples include unsalted popcorn, cheese, vegetables with dip, and no-sugar-added peanut butter on apples and celery. Fresh fruits and vegetables should be given priority. When you must use canned fruits, look for fruits canned in their own juices or in the juices of other fruits. Avoid fruits canned in heavy syrup and accept
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those canned in light syrup only if fresh or waterpacked fruits are not available.
SUMMARY Foods can be used in activities that help children become more creative in their approach to the world, as they learn new information and skills. They develop knowledge about names of shapes and colors; tastes; changes in shape, size, color, and taste; and new
“Enriched”—“Fortified”— Good or Bad
Don’t worry about giving young children some foods such as white bread/and sandwich buns that say enriched or fortified on the label. Enrichment replaces some of the nutrients lost during processing and fortification adds others. Some people say that white flour and products made with white flour are not nutritious. This is not true. It’s just that whole grains are a bit better because they have more of some vitamins, minerals, and fiber. All starches are valuable sources of vitamins, minerals, and calories for young children. Even the youngest child needs at least four servings from the starch group each day. It’s best to offer a variety of selections from the list rather than four or more portions of the same starch. This is true of all food groups (Hess et al., 1990). WHOLE GRAIN STARCH CHOICES barley brown rice bulgar corn tortilla millet oat bran
oatmeal pumpernickel rye bread Rykrisp whole-grain breads whole-grain cereals
whole-grain wafers whole-grain Melba toast wheat germ whole-wheat pasta
BEST ENRICHED/FORTIFIED STARCH CHOICES bagel, bialy bread sticks cereals (ready-to eat, not too sweet) cooked cereals (all kinds)
cornbread or corn muffins matzo melba toast noodles pasta
raisin bread rusks spaghetti
graham crackers french bread (unenriched) italian bread (unenriched) white bread (enriched) white rice Zwieback
muffins (unenriched) oatmeal cookies pasta salad pretzels rice cakes
OTHER STARCH CHOICES English muffin flour tortilla hard rolls biscuits bread stuffing fruit/nut bread
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words. Food activities also help young children develop skills in hand–eye and small muscle coordination, simple measuring, and socialization. In order to ensure that food experiences for young children are planned to enhance their creativity, they must include the following basic guidelines: They must (1) be open-ended; (2) be challenging, but not too hard for three- to five-year-olds; (3) be varied, giving children choices; (4) emphasize the doing, not the end product; (5) involve inexpensive materials; and (6) not be dangerous to children. Food activities work best in a small group. It is important that children be allowed to make decisions for themselves about what foods to use and how to use them. Adults responsible for the diets of young children must limit sugar consumption by avoiding obvious sources of sucrose and hidden sugars. Using natural sources of sweetness, reducing the focus on sweets, and finding other types of sweets for young children are all essential ways to reduce sugar in children’s diets.
KEY TERM sugar
LEARNING ACTIVITIES A. Try testing the sense of taste of some fellow students by making “creative juice.” 1. Materials and ingredients: blender common vegetables: cucumber, carrots, tomatoes, cabbage, celery, green pepper, and parsley salt sugar lemon juice 2. Begin with any two vegetables. Add one-half cup of cold water or crushed ice and blend. A pinch of salt and sugar and a small amount of lemon juice will improve the flavor. Taste a small amount. 3. Add a third vegetable to the mixture. Taste. Keep track of the vegetables and amounts used. Continue to add vegetables, one at a time. Try to make: a. a tasty vegetable juice. b. a juice whose vegetables no one can identify. c. a mystery juice.
B. Observe a group of children experiencing a type of food for the first time—perhaps eggplant, squash, or rutabaga! 1. What kinds of expressions do they make when they taste the food? 2. How do they react when they find out what the food was that they tasted? 3. What can be said to make a child more willing to taste new foods? C. Experiment with the sense of taste. 1. Each person who tastes a food in this experiment must wear a blindfold or cover his eyes. 2. Use small slices of baking apples or potatoes and a freshly sliced onion or garlic. 3. Hold the onion under the blindfolded person’s nose. Slip a small piece of apple or potato into the person’s mouth. Have the person chew up the food and tell what it was. D. With a group of children, try out at least one of the food experiences listed in this chapter. Evaluate the experience. Would you use this recipe again? Would you organize the experience in the same way next time? If not, what changes would you make? E. Develop your own additional food-related activities. Develop an integrated unit on food for an elementary grade level. Share this unit with your fellow classmates for their input. F. Keep a food diary for at least one week. Summarize your findings on your eating habits. Compare your eating habits with the recommended food pyramid in your summary.
ACTIVITIES FOR CHILDREN CURRICULUM IDEAS
Music/Movement. Play Hot Potato! Invite the children to sit in a circle. Play recorded music as the children pass a real potato around the circle. When the music stops, the child with the potato leaves the circle. Each child who leaves the circle gets a turn to start and stop the music.
Math. Divide the children into small groups. Have at least three types of pasta for this activity. Give each group a few pieces of each type of pasta. Ask the children to sort the pasta into different categories. Encourage them to work together to discuss why they think certain pastas should go together. Invite the groups to share their decisions with the class.
CHAPTER 21 Creative Food Experiences
Social Studies. A trip to a local restaurant, pizzeria, or bakery can provide children with a wonderful opportunity to learn about how a favorite food is prepared. Invite children to prepare a list of questions they would like to ask during their visit. Consider taking along a portable tape recorder and camera to record the steps of the recipe the children are learning about. Children can then make the recipe at school. They can write a story about their experiences using the photos as their inspiration.
Pretend Play. Wash empty yogurt containers and lids and the frozen juice containers and place in the dramatic play area. Provide the children with plastic spoons, bowls, and plastic fruit or small colored blocks to represent the fruits. Encourage the children to use the snack props as they incorporate dolls and their classmates in dramatic play.
Math. Give children a bowl filled with crackers in a variety of shapes: goldfish, oyster, square, and oval. Place paper plates for each type of cracker on the table. Ask children to work together to sort the crackers onto each plate. Now children can pass the plates around and choose crackers to eat with their soup. After a food activity, make a bar graph that lists all the recipes you’ve used in your class. Indicate the names of the children who liked each one. Which recipe did most children prefer? Which recipe was least preferred? Brainstorm with the children how they could change the recipes to make them even better. Literacy and Art. Read Pretzel by Margaret Rey (1997) to the children. Make real pretzels with the recipe for soft pretzels found at the end of this chapter. Provide them with materials to create drawings about their pretzel-making experience. Record their dictations and encourage them to create their own pretzel book. Children can continue making pretend pretzels with play dough or clay, or by twisting brown butcher paper.
Food Riddles.
Children’s listening and thinking skills will improve as they identify foods by guessing the answer to riddles. Children sit in a small group of 4 to 5. The adult reads the entire riddle before children respond. You can write the following riddles on index cards to read to the children. Sample riddles: 1. I’m in the dairy group. I’m white. People drink me out of a glass, cup, or carton. You put me on cereal. What am I? (milk).
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2. I’m in the vegetable group. I’m long, orange, and crunchy when eaten raw. What am I? (carrot). 3. I’m in the fruit group. I’m round, shiny, and smooth to touch. I’m crunchy to bite into. I grow on a tree. What am I? (apple). 4. I’m in the meat group. I’m flat and round in shape. I often come on a bun. Sometimes people put catsup on me. What am I? (hamburger). 5. I’m in the bread and cereal group. I come in a loaf. You can slice me to make sandwiches. I smell good right after I’m baked. What am I? (bread). 6. I’m a member of the meat and poultry group. I have an oval shape. I come from a chicken. You can fry me, scramble me, or boil me. Inside I am yellow and white. What am I? (egg). 7. I’m a member of the fruit group. I’m tiny, brown, and wrinkled. I used to be a grape. You can eat me in a cereal, in cookies, or just by myself. I’m sweet but not a junk food. What am I? (raisin). Children who are familiar with the game enjoy making up their own food riddles. Riddle games could be played concentrating on only one food group, ethnic foods, etc. ORIGINAL RECIPES Ask each child to dictate a recipe to you that is made in his home. Write it down exactly as he tells you (mistakes and funny parts, too). Put the recipes together in a little booklet for parents. It will be a treasure to save and enjoy for years to come. GREAT GRAPES Give young children the opportunity to make choices and be creative by concocting their own snacks using only one harvest food—grapes! Set out an assortment of red, purple, and green grapes. Discuss the many grape products we eat or drink (jelly, juice, etc.). Suggest that children brainstorm new ways to prepare and eat grape snacks. Here are a few suggestions for great grape snacks. A grape cookbook, with each recipe signed by the cook, would be a wonderful follow-up activity. Sugar-free and reduced-sugar recipes are designated by the smiley face symbol.
Frozen Grapes. Place washed grapes on a cookie sheet with spaces between each one. Cut them in half to avoid choking. Freeze. When frozen, place in a plastic bag. Eat frozen.
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Grapes to Raisins. Wash and dry a large bunch of
Soft Pretzels.
green grapes. Place in a basket in a warm sunny spot for four to seven days. You will then have raisins!
A. Ingredients: 1- 12 cups warm water 3 cups flour 1 pkg. yeast 1 tablespoon sugar 1 teaspoon salt 1 tablespoon vegetable oil B. Procedure: 1. Mix together all the ingredients. 2. Add small amounts of flour until mixture does not stick to your hand. 3. Roll out 12 small balls of dough to make snakes or worms. 4. Loop ends together to make a pretzel knot. 5. Coat with a mixture of one egg yolk and two tablespoons of water. 6. Sprinkle a few pieces of salt on each pretzel. 7. Place on a slightly greased cookie sheet. 8. Bake at 425° for 10 to 12 minutes.
Grape Fruit Cocktail. Slice grapes in half with plastic knives. Add sliced grapes to a can of fruit cocktail. Add fresh fruit chunks as desired.
Grape Surprises. A. Ingredients: 1 cup peanut butter 2 1 cup nonfat dry milk powder 2 2 tablespoons honey grapes B. Procedure: 1. Mix peanut butter, milk powder, and honey until a soft, non-sticky “dough” is formed. 2. Knead dough, then press out pieces into 2-inch circles. 3. Place a grape in the center. Wrap dough around grape and seal well. 4. Variation: Place grapes inside cream cheese balls, then roll in chopped nuts.
Grapes and Yogurt. A. Ingredients: small bunch of grapes 1 cup yogurt or sour cream B. Procedure: Slice grapes with plastic knife and add to yogurt (or sour cream).
RECIPES FOR COOKING EXPERIENCES
Cheesy French Fries. A. Ingredients: 1 package (9 ounces) frozen french fried potatoes 1 teaspoon salt 2 dash pepper 1 cup grated sharp cheese 2 B. Procedure: 1. Preheat oven to 450°F. 2. Arrange potatoes on cookie sheet. 3. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. 4. Bake uncovered 15 minutes. 5. Sprinkle cheese over potatoes. 6. Bake 2–3 minutes longer or until cheese is melted.
Applesauce. Picture recipe in Figure 21–8. A. Ingredients: 4 to 6 medium apples 1 cup sugar 4 1 stick cinnamon (or 1–2 whole cloves, if desired) 2 B. Procedure: (if food mill is not used) 1. Peel and core the apples. 2. Cut apples into quarters, and place in pot. 3. Add a small amount of water (about 1 inch). 4. Cover the pot and cook slowly (simmer), until apples are tender. The cooked apples can then be mashed with a form, beaten with a beater, or put through a strainer. 5. Add sugar to taste (about 12 cup to 4 apples), and continue cooking until sugar dissolves. 6. Add 12 stick of cinnamon (or 1 to 2 cloves) if desired. Note: If a food mill is used, it is not necessary to peel and core the apples. After the apples are cooked as above, they are put through the food mill Children enjoy turning the handle and watching the sauce come dripping out of the holes. Variation: 7. For fun, add a few cinnamon candies. What happens to the color of the applesauce? Is the flavor changed? Be sure to add them while the applesauce is still hot.
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Banana Apple Icy. Picture recipe in Figure 21–9. A. Ingredients: 1 apple 1 banana 1 cup milk 4 1 cup plain yogurt 3 ice cubes B. Procedure: 1. Peel and core 1 yellow apple. 2. Cut it into small cubes. 3. Peel and slice 1 banana. 4. Put these in a blender with the milk and yogurt. 5. Add 3 ice cubes. 6. Blend until smooth. 7. Makes enough for 2 small glasses.
Apple Sandwich. Picture recipe in Figure 21–10. A. Ingredients: 1 apple peanut butter B. Procedure: 1. Peel and core an apple. 2. Cut it crosswise into slices. 3. Spread peanut butter on one apple slice and top with another apple slice.
Fruit Soup. A. Ingredients: honeydew and/or cantaloupe melon 1 banana 1 plum kiwifruit grapes and other fruits 1 cup of orange juice 1 scoop of frozen yogurt. B. Procedure: 1. Scoop balls from melons with a melon baller. (Kids love doing this.) Use a honeydew melon or cantaloupe or some of each. 2. Cut up banana with a butter knife. 3. Add the orange juice for the base of the soup and put in a blender. 4. Add banana pieces and whirl on high for 30 seconds. 5. Pour soup into 3 or 4 bowls—or into 8-10 small cups. 6. Add cut-up fruit to each and then top it off with a scoop of frozen yogurt.
Beautiful Bagels. Use bagels as your “easel.” Take 12 of a bagel, let the child spread it with cream cheese. Have available a
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variety of sliced vegetables such as carrots, cucumbers, bean sprouts, cherry tomatoes, green or red bell peppers, black olives. Children can decorate their snack to their own “taste” both artistically and health-wise.
Stuffed Baked Apples. A. Ingredients: 4 tart apples 1 4 1 4 1 4
cup crunchy breakfast cereal cup chopped walnuts teaspoon cinnamon 1 cup raisins 2 tablespoons honey B. Procedure: 1. Core apples. 2. Combine ingredients and spoon equal amounts into each apple cavity. 3. Place apples in shallow baking dish and add 41 cup of water. 4. Bake uncovered for 40 minutes at 300°F.
Banana Breakfast Split. A. Ingredients: 1 banana, sliced lengthwise 1 cup cottage cheese 2 1 tablespoon wheat germ 1 tablespoon raisins 1 tablespoon chopped nuts B. Procedure: 1. Place banana slices in a bowl. 2. Put scoops of cottage cheese on top. 3. Sprinkle with wheat germ, raisins, and nuts. Makes one serving.
Pear Bunnies. A. Ingredients: ripe pear, cut in half lengthwise 1 lettuce leaf 1 teaspoon cottage cheese 1 red cherry raisins almond slivers B. Procedure: Place pear half on lettuce half, rounded side up. Decorate, using cottage cheese for “cottontail,” cherry for nose, raisins for eyes, and almond slivers for ears.
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Fruit Leather. This recipe reinforces the concept that fruits like apricots, peaches, raspberries, apples, etc., can be changed and used in new ways. A. Ingredients: 1 quart or 2 pounds of fresh fruit sugar cinnamon plastic wrapping paper B. Procedure: 1. Help children break open, peel, and seed or pit fruit. 2. Puree prepared fruit in blender until smooth. 3. Add 2 tablespoons sugar and 21 teaspoon cinnamon to each 2 cups of puree. 4. Pour mixture onto sheet of plastic wrap that has been placed on a large cookie sheet. Spread mixture thinly and evenly. 5. Cover mixture with a screen or a piece of cheesecloth and place in the sun until completely dry—about one or two days. It can then be eaten or rolled and stored.
2 tablespoons frozen orange juice concentrate, thawed 1 cup banana (optional) 2 1 cup vanilla or lemon yogurt B. Procedure: 1. Puree strawberries in blender. 2. Add remaining ingredients to blender and mix until frothy. 3. For holidays or special occasions, stick straws through colorful paper shapes and serve with shakes. Makes two servings, 43 cup each.
Peanut Butter Banana Smoothie. A. Ingredients: 1 cup vanilla yogurt 1 to 2 tablespoons peanut butter 1 banana B. Procedure: 1. Combine all ingredients in blender. 2. Whip for 30 to 60 seconds or until smooth. 3. Serve in custard cup or small bowl to eat with a spoon, or pour into cups to drink.
Peanutty Pudding. A. Ingredients: 1 package regular pudding 2 cups milk peanut butter B. Procedure: 1. Prepare pudding as directed on package. (You may choose to use the sugar-free type.) 2. Pour cooked pudding into individual bowls. 3. While still warm, stir in 1 tablespoon peanut butter to each bowl.
Fruit Kabobs. A. Ingredients: 1 cup vanilla or lemon yogurt (low fat, low-sugar variety) 2 cups fresh or canned fruit (chunk-style) pretzel sticks B. Procedure: 1. Thread fruit chunks onto pretzel sticks. Talk about how colors and sizes look next to each other. 2. Dip each end piece into the yogurt before eating, or spoon yogurt over the entire kabob.
Strawberry Yogurt Shake. A. Ingredients: 1 2 cup frozen unsweetened strawberries, thawed
Broccoli Trees and Snow. A. Ingredients: 3 4 cup small curd cottage cheese 1 2 cup plain yogurt 1 4 cup cup fresh minced parsley 1 bunch broccoli B. Procedure: 1. Mix cottage cheese and yogurt in blender until smooth. 2. Add parsley and refrigerate until cool. 3. Cut broccoli into “dippers.” (Cucumbers, zucchini, celery, carrots, radishes, and green peppers make good “dippers,” too.) 4. Dip vegetables into yogurt mix and enjoy.
Fruit Sun. A. Ingredients: grapefruit, sections muskmelon, balls cherries raisins B. Procedure: 1. Arrange grapefruit sections in a ring around muskmelon balls. 2. Cherries and raisins may be used to make a face. 3. Amounts depend on the number to be served; 1 2 -cup servings are appropriate.
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Pigs in a Blanket.
French Toast.
A. Ingredients: frankfurters bread slices American cheese butter mustard B. Procedure: 1. Spread butter on bread. 2. Place bread slices on ungreased baking sheet and top each with a slice of cheese. 3. Place frankfurters diagonally on cheese. 4. Fold bread over to form triangle. Brush with butter. 5. Set broiler at 550°F. 6. Broil about 2 minutes.
A. Ingredients: 8 slices bread 4 eggs 1 4 tablespoon salt 2 cups milk B. Procedure: 1. Beat eggs slightly. Add salt and milk. 2. Dip slices of bread in egg mixture and fry in electric skillet. 3. Serve hot with jelly, honey, or syrup.
Meatballs. A. Ingredients: 1 pound hamburger 1 cup bread crumbs 1 or 2 eggs 3 4 teaspoon salt 1 8 teaspoon pepper 1 4 cup milk B. Procedure: 1. Mix ingredients well. 2. Shape into small balls. 3. Brown until cooked through in electric skillet.
Carrot and Raisin Salad. A. Ingredients: 3 cups shredded carrots (teacher to prepare) 3 4 cup raisins juice of one lemon 3 tablespoons sugar dash of salt B. Procedure: 1. Mix ingredients thoroughly. 2. Serve immediately.
Banana Bake. A. Ingredients: 1 banana, peeled butter, melted B. Procedure: 1. Place peeled banana in shallow baking dish and brush with melted butter. 2. Bake in moderate oven (375°F) from 10 to 15 minutes (until tender). 3. Serve hot as a vegetable. 4. Yield: 1 serving.
Carob-Nut Snack. A. Ingredients: 1 cup dry-roasted unsalted peanuts 1 cup unsweetened carob chips 1 cup unsweetened dried banana chips 1 cup unsweetened cereal B. Procedure: Children can take turns shaking ingredients in a plastic container with lid to mix. Serve in small cups, or carry in plastic bags on field trips. Can be stored in container for several weeks.
No-Bake Brownies. A. Ingredients: 1 cup fresh peanut butter (no sugar added) 1 cup nonfat dry milk 1 4 cup soy protein powder (plain, no dextrose or other sugar substitutes) 1 teaspoon vanilla 2 tablespoons carob powder (or cocoa if you don’t mind the caffeine) 1 cup fructose 2 3 cup water 4 1 cup raisins (optional) 2 coconut or chopped nuts (optional) B. Procedure: 1. Mix peanut butter, dry milk, carob (or cocoa), fructose, and vanilla with mixer or pastry blender. 2. Add water, a little at a time, mixing after each addition. At first it may seem too wet, but the water will be absorbed. 3. Add raisins. Add more water if needed. 4. Press mixture into 8” × 8” pan sprayed with nonstick coating. 5. Sprinkle coconut or chopped nuts on top. 6. Cut into squares. Refrigerate unused portion.
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Chow Mein Crunchies. A. Ingredients: 1 package chocolate chips (or 1 package butterscotch chips) 1 can chow mein noodles 1 cup salted peanuts B. Procedure: 1. Melt chocolate chips in a double boiler or in a saucepan over very low heat. 2. Add chow mein noodles and salted peanuts. 3. Stir until the noodles are coated with chocolate mixture. 4. Drop by spoonfuls on waxed paper. 5. Place in refrigerator until cool.
Jam Brown-n-Serve. A. Ingredients: 6 brown-n-serve rolls 1 teaspoon melted margarine 6 teaspoons apricot preserves B. Procedure: 1. Brush butter over top of rolls. 2. Make lengthwise cuts in top of roll. 3. Insert 1 teaspoon of preserves. 4. Bake in greased shallow pan at 200°F for 10 to 12 minutes.
Cottage Cheese Cookies. A. Ingredients: 1 cup butter 4 1 cup sugar 2 1 cup cottage cheese 2 1 teaspoon vanilla 1 cup flour 1 teaspoon salt 2 1 teaspoon baking powder B. Materials: fork, cookie sheet C. Procedure: 1. Mix butter and sugar. 2. Add cottage cheese and vanilla. 3. Add flour, salt, and baking powder. 4. Stir. Smooth into balls. 5. Put on greased cookie sheet. Flatten with fork. Bake at 375°F for 10 to 15 minutes.
Scrambled Eggs. A. Ingredients: eggs, one per child milk, salt, pepper as desired B. Materials: fry pan or electric skillet
C. Procedure: 1. Permit each child to break an egg into a bowl. 2. Beat the egg with a fork. 3. Add milk, salt, and pepper as desired. 4. Cook in fry pan or electric skillet.
Peanut Butter Balls. A. Ingredients: 1 cup fresh peanut butter 2 1 tablespoon jelly 1 cup dry milk powder 2 1 cup bran or corn flakes 1 cup bran or corn flakes (crushed) 3 B. Procedure: 1. Mix the peanut butter and jelly in bowl. 2. Stir in milk powder and 1 cup bran or corn flakes. Mix well. 3. With your hands, roll the mix into small balls. Roll the balls in the crushed flakes.
Peanut Butter Apple Rolls. A. Ingredients: 1 8-ounce can refrigerated crescent rolls. 2 tablespoons fresh peanut butter 1 apple, peeled and finely chopped B. Procedure: 1. Separate dough into 8 triangles. 2. Spread a thick layer of peanut butter on each triangle. 3. Top with 1 tablespoon of apple. 4. Start at the shortest side of each triangle and roll to other side. Place on cookie sheet. 5. Bake at 350°F for 10–15 minutes.
Peanut Grahams. A. Ingredients: graham crackers fresh peanut butter one or more of the following toppings—nuts, sunflower seeds, raisins, chocolate chips, sliced bananas, sliced apples B. Procedure: 1. Break each graham cracker in half. 2. Spread some peanut butter on one half. 3. Place your favorite topping on the peanut butter. 4. Spread some peanut butter on the other graham cracker half. 5. Press the two halves together to make a sandwich.
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Peanut Logs.
Frozen Banana Coins.
A. Ingredients: 1 cup creamy peanut butter 1 cup honey 1 cup instant nonfat dry milk 1 cup raisins 1 cup graham cracker crumbs B. Procedure: 1. Blend peanut butter, honey, and dry milk. 2. Add raisins and mix well. 3. Stir in graham cracker crumbs. 4. Roll teaspoonfuls of mixture on waxed paper to shape into logs. 5. Refrigerate one hour. Makes about 50.
An excellent use for a very ripe banana. Peel bananas. Freeze bananas on a tray. Place frozen banana in a freezer bag or freezer container. Return to freezer until ready to use. To serve, remove banana from freezer and slice into 14” pieces. Serve immediately, or pieces will become soggy. Yield: 12 banana per serving.
Frozen Banana Pop. Cut banana in half horizontally. Carefully push one popsicle stick into each banana half. Freeze. Serve directly from freezer.
Popcorn Mix. For children over three years of age. Nutty Swiss Cheese Spread. A. Ingredients: 2 cups Swiss cheese, shredded 1 cup fresh peanut butter 2 1 cup sour cream 2 1 cup raisins 4 B. Procedure: 1. Mix all ingredients well. 2. Use spread on bread or crackers.
Graham Cracker Bananas. A. Ingredients: 4 bananas 1 cup evaporated milk 4 1 cup graham cracker crumbs 2 1 cup butter or margarine, melted 4 B. Procedure: 1. Peel bananas and cut in half lengthwise. 2. Roll bananas in milk, then roll in graham cracker crumbs. 3. Place in greased baking dish. Pour melted butter over top. 4. Bake at 450° for 10 minutes.
Broiled Bananas. 1 banana (unpeeled) 1 tablespoon plain lowfat yogurt Make a small slit in the banana skin. Place unskinned banana slit-side up on a piece of aluminum foil. Broil for 5 to 10 minutes, until softened. Open skin to expose banana. Serve with a dollop of yogurt. Most children like bananas, so this recipe should be a hit. In this recipe, the banana is eaten with a spoon and the skin becomes the dish.
A. Ingredients: 2 cups plain popped popcorn 1 cup quartered dried apricots 4 1 cup raisins 4 1 cup peanuts 4 Mix all ingredients together. Store in a tightly covered container. Yield: 2 34 cups.
Rice Pudding. A. Ingredients: 4 tablespoons uncooked rice 4 cups milk 1 tablespoon butter 3 tablespoons sugar (optional) 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 2 nutmeg B. Procedure: 1. Combine all ingredients except nutmeg in buttered casserole. 2. Sprinkle nutmeg on top. 3. Bake at 300°F for 1 12 hours.
Baked Popcorn Treat. A. Ingredients: 1 cup butter 2 1 cup brown sugar 2 3 quarts popped corn 1 cup peanuts B. Procedure: 1. Mix butter and sugar until fluffy. 2. Combine corn and peanuts. Stir into buttersugar mixture. 3. Place in baking dish and bake at 350°F for 8 minutes. Pour into bowl and serve.
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Crunchy Fruit Munch. A. Ingredients: 3 quarts popped popcorn 2 cups natural cereal with raisins 3 4 cup dried apricots, chopped 1 teaspoon salt 4 1 cup butter or margarine 3 1 cup honey 4 B. Procedure: 1. Preheat oven to 300°F. Combine first four ingredients in large baking pan; set aside. 2. In small saucepan, combine butter or margarine and honey. Cook over low heat until butter or margarine is melted. 3. Pour over popcorn mixture, tossing lightly until well coated. 4. Place in oven. Bake 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. Makes 3 quarts. 5. Store in tightly covered container up to 2 weeks.
Popcorn with Peanut Butter. A. Ingredients: 2 quarts popped popcorn 1 tablespoon fresh peanut butter (creamy or chunky) 2 tablespoons butter or margarine B. Procedure: 1. In small saucepan, melt butter or margarine and peanut butter until smooth. 2. Pour over popped corn and mix well.
B. Procedure: 1. Follow package directions. (For extra nutrition, add 13 cup nonfat milk to the standard recipe calling for 2 cups milk.) 2. The batter should be in a bowl rather than in a pitcher; the child puts the batter on the griddle by spoonfuls, sometimes deliberately dribbling for effect. 3. A turtle is made by adding four tiny pancakes (the legs) around the perimeter of one round pancake about 3 inches in diameter.
ONE-STEP COOKBOOK These are one-process recipes. They require some preparation but the actual recipe uses one method that demonstrates what happens when food is prepared in that manner.
Carrot Curls. For this activity, you will need carrots, a vegetable peeler, and ice water. Show the children how to use a vegetable peeler safely. When peeling carrots, the peeler should be pushed down and away from the body, rather than towards the body or face. Help children peel off the outside skin of the carrot, then make additional carrot peels. Place peels in ice water in the refrigerator until they curl. Use the carrot curls for a snack. Apples–with Cheese. Halve and core apples. Fill
Popcorn Cheese Snacks. A. Ingredients 2 quarts popped popcorn 1 cup butter or margarine 2 1 cup grated American or Parmesan cheese— 2 or both 1 teaspoon salt 2 B. Procedure: 1. Spread freshly popped popcorn in a flat pan; keep hot and crisp in oven. 2. Melt butter and grated cheese and add salt. 3. Pour mixture over popcorn. Stir until every kernel is cheese flavored.
Turtle Pancakes. A. Ingredients: pancake or biscuit mix 1 cup nonfat dry milk 3 2 cups milk
hollowed center with smooth cheese spread. Chill for 2 to 3 hours before serving.
Yogurt and Cereal Parfait. In a tall glass, layer lemon, vanilla, or fruit-flavored yogurt with a favorite breakfast cereal.
Banana Breakfast Bites. Peel bananas and cut into bite-sized pieces. Dip each piece in yogurt, then drop into a plastic bag filled with wheat germ. Shake to coat. Serve as finger food.
Fruit Cubes. Make frozen cubes with fruit juice, placing a small piece of fruit in each cube before it freezes. Add a popsicle stick to each cube to make individual fruit treats on a stick.
Banana on Ice. This is a tasty, low-calorie treat— only about 85 calories per banana. Simply peel a
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banana and wrap it in plastic wrap. Place it in the freezer for several hours or until hard. (Don’t leave it in the freezer too long.) Eat frozen. It tastes exactly like banana ice cream.
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ACTIVITIES FOR OLDER CHILDREN (GRADES 4–5) FRUIT-SCIENCE
Ants on a Log. Fill celery sticks with peanut butter, cream cheese, or pimento cheese. Use raisins or nuts as the “ants.”
On a table, place three or four different varieties of apples. In front of each kind, place a label with the name of it. The children read the names and describe and compare the varieties. Give the children thin slices of the varieties to name, taste, and compare. Then, have them research facts about apples: uses and food value, growth and environment, etc. Make a special dessert or salad using the apples. The children taste, describe and enjoy.
Apple Bake. Place a cored apple in a dish with a
EGGS
Smiling Sandwich. Spread peanut butter on a rice or corn cake. Use two raisins for eyes and a banana or apple slice for a smiling mouth.
small amount of water. Cover with foil (for oven) or cover loosely with plastic wrap (for microwave) and bake at 350°F for 20 minutes (oven) or on HIGH for 5 minutes (microwave). Add a sprinkle of cinnamon if desired.
Juice Freeze. Fill a 6-ounce paper cup with sugarfree fruit juice, cover with plastic wrap, and push a plastic spoon through center of wrap. Freeze. Tear away cup to eat.
Dried Banana Chunks. Slice bananas into 43 -inch thick slices. If desired, roll in chopped nuts. Place on baking sheet in 150°F oven with oven door open about 2 inches. Dry until shriveled, or about 12 hours.
Read Green Eggs and Ham by Dr. Seuss (1976). Have the class try to state the moral of the story as succinctly as possibly. The moral might be stated: “You never know if you’ll like a new food until you try it” or “Try it, you’ll like it.” Make your own green eggs and ham. Discuss with your students purchasing environmentally sound egg cartons. Molded pulp cartons are generally made from 100% recycled paper. That makes these a better choice than polystyrene egg cartons. Polystyrene is not recycled, nor is it biodegradable. Have students use their imaginations by drawing and coloring a picture of a food. Encourage students to color the picture so that the food looks interesting or fun to them. Students may wish to write a paragraph to go with their pictures.
FOOD FROM ANIMALS AND PLANTS
Cheese Melt. Cut Monterey Jack cheese into small cubes. Place far apart on baking sheet and place in 375°F oven for a few minutes until cheese melts and spreads wafer thin. Cool and remove.
Milk Mix. Pour cold milk into an almost empty jelly or jam jar. Shake vigorously. Drink.
Peanut Butter. Place 1 cup shelled roasted peanuts and 1 tablespoon oil in blender and blend to peanut butter.
Popcorn. Pour a handful of popcorn kernels into heavy pan with 1 tablespoon oil. Cover and heat until popcorn is popped.
Have students draw or cut out pictures to make a farm scene of plants and animals we eat. Then ask them to add some plants and animals we do not eat. Ask students to think about the grocery store. Are products from plants and animals sold together in one department or are they in separate departments? Students should distinguish produce departments from meat/deli and dairy departments. Aisles in the middle of the stores are often combinations of plant and animal products. Polyvinyl chloride (PVC) is a huge contributor to environmental pollution. Supermarkets package their meat, fish, and poultry in polystyrene trays and then wrap them in PVC wrap. But the deli counter will cut meat and wrap it in freezer wrap or molded pulp trays, which are better. Have students offer suggestions for alternative ways to buy and package meat.
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FOOD AND THE MEDIA The last week of April is National Library Week. Challenge your students to read a book about foods or food groups. Provide newspapers and magazines with food advertisements. Ask the students to cut out the ads and put them into food groups. Use food advertisements and have the students “stop and think.” (See the rhyme below.) Evaluate foods by having students respond to a series of questions related to the food groups. Make a poster or bulletin board with the “Eating Advice” rhyme—“Before eating, keep repeating, stop and think, will this help me grow?” Refer to this rhyme throughout any nutrition activities.
FOOD GROUPS Ask students to generate a list of typical foods eaten at breakfast. Then write one breakfast menu. Count the number of servings from the bread, fruit, vegetable, meat, and milk groups. Knowing how many servings of each food group is recommended for a day, have the students subtract the breakfast servings to determine the food to eat the rest of the day. After lunch, have students determine how many servings from each food group have been consumed. How many servings need to be consumed at supper in order to meet food requirements?
h. Children must be warned never to throw foods away. i. Food activities should always be done in a kitchen. j. Food activities can sometimes be done in groups. 4. Decide which of the following statements are true or false: a. Research shows that human infants must learn to prefer sweet over sour. b. The average American consumes about 104 pounds of sugar per year. c. To avoid cavities, it is essential to eliminate all fructose from the diet. d. To avoid cavities, children should brush within 50 minutes after eating. e. The best way to reduce obesity is to limit empty calories. f. Empty calories are foods that are low in calories but high in protein. g. Hidden sugars are found in things like catsup, hotdogs, pork and beans, and canned vegetables. h. The most common form of sucrose is milk sugar or lactose. i. Approximately 12 percent of a young child’s caloric intake comes from snacks.
REFERENCES CHAPTER REVIEW 1. Name several ways in which food activities help children learn information. 2. Name several skills that develop from activities with foods. 3. Decide which of the following statements are true: a. Teachers should give detailed directions to children during food activities. b. Children should work at their own pace. c. Food activities must be very easy so that no child feels challenged. d. Food activities should be varied. e. Children should work with new kinds of foods—things they have never tasted before. f. The end product is all that counts in food activities. g. Foods used in food activities should be inexpensive, if possible.
Ausubel, D. P. (1980). Enhancing the acquisition of knowledge. National Society for the Study of Education Yearbook, 1979 (Part 1), 227–250. Chicago: National Society for the Study of Education. Birch, L. L. (1996). Children’s food acceptance patterns. Nutrition Today, 31(6), 234–40. de Paola, T. (1992). Jamie O’Rourke and the big potato. New York: Scholastic. Ehlert, L. (1987). Growing vegetable soup. New York: Harcourt Brace. Fuhr, J. E., & Barclay, K. H. (1998). The importance of appropriate nutrition education. Young Children, 53(1), 74–80. Goodnow, J. J., & Collins, W. A. (1991). Development according to parents: The nature, sources and consequences of parent’s ideas. Hillsdale, NJ: Erlbaum. Hess, M. A., Hunt, A. E., & Stone, B. M. (1990). A healthy start: A worry-free guide to feeding young children. New York: Holt. McDonald, M. (1996). The potato man. Chicago: Children’s Press. Nelson, J. (1990). Neighborhood soup. New York: Modern Curriculum Books.
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Rey, M. (1997). Pretzel. Boston: Houghton Mifflin. Seuss, D. (1976). Green eggs and ham. New York: Random House U.S. Department of Agriculture, Dept. of Health and Human Services. (1995). Nutrition and your health: Dietary guidelines for Americans (4th ed.). Washington, DC: Home and Garden Bulletin, No. 232.
ADDITIONAL READINGS American Dietetic Association. (1995). Timely statement of The American Dietetic Association: Dietary guidance for healthy children. Journal of American Dietetic Association 95, 370. Ausubel, D. P. (1980). Enhancing the acquisition of knowledge. National Society for the Study of Education Yearbook, 1979 (Part 1), (pp. 227–250). Chicago: National Society for the Study of Education. Bennett, L. (1995). Wide world of breads in children’s literature. Young Children, 50(5), 64–68. Birch, L. L. (1996). Children’s food acceptance patterns. Nutrition Today, 31(6), 234–40. Birch, L. L., Johnson, S. L., & Fisher, J. A. (1995). The development of food-acceptance patterns. Young Children 50(2), 71–78. Bomba, A. K., Oakley, C. B., & Knight, K. B. (1996). Planning the menu in the child care center. Young Children 51(6), 62–67. Church, E. B. (1999 Nov./Dec.). Now we’re cooking. Scholastic Early Childhood Today, 73–83. Church, E. B. (1999 Nov./Dec.). Teaching culture through cooking. Scholastic Early Childhood Today, 71–72. Dahl, K. (1999). Why cooking in the classroom? Young Children, 53(1), 81–83. Goodnow, J. J., & Collins, W. A. (1991). Development according to parents: The nature, sources and consequences of parents’ ideas. Hillsdale, NJ: Erlbaum. Henneman, A. (1999). Food science: Don’t mess with food safety myths! Nutrition Today, 34(1), 23–26. Hess, M. A., Hunt, A. E., & Stone, B. M. (1990). A healthy start: A worry-free guide to feeding young children. New York: Holt. Klefstad, J. (1995). Cooking in the kindergarten. Young Children, 50(6), 32–33. Lakeshore Learning Materials. (1991). Multicultural cooking with kids. Carson, CA: Author. McNutt, K. (1997). Common sense advice to food safety educators. Nutrition Today, 32, 132. Merrill, D. (1997). The new dietary guidelines and kids: Will they sit at the same table? School Business Affairs, 63(1), 22–26. National Dairy Council. (1995). Dietary guidelines and children’s nutrition. A survey of health care professionals. Rosemont, IL: Author. National Dairy Council. (1996). Kids: They’re not little adults. A backgrounder for health professionals:
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Children’s Nutrition and Dietary Guidelines. Rosemont, IL: Author. Picciano, M. F. (1998). Nutrition and the life cycle: How to grow a healthy child. Nutrition Today, 34(1), 6–14. USDA/FSIS. (1997, May). How temperatures affect food (Prepared by the Food Safety Education and Communications Staff). U.S. Department of Agriculture, Human Nutrition Information Service. (1992). Home and Garden Bulletin No. 252. Washington, DC: Author. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Public Health Service, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, & National Center for Health Statistics. (1996). Healthy People 2000 Review (1995–1996). DHHS (PHS) Publication 96–1256. Hyattsville, MD: Authors.
BOOKS FOR CHILDREN PRESCHOOL Alderson, B. (Reteller). (1999). The tale of the turnip. New York: Candlewick. Aylesworth, J. (1998). The gingerbread man. New York: Scholastic. Berger, S., & Chessen, B. (1999). Apples. New York: Scholastic. Bertrand, D. G. (1997). Sip, slurp, soup, soup; Caldo, caldo, caldo. Miami, FL: Arte Publico Press. Canizares, S., & Chessen, B. (1999). Numbers. New York: Scholastic. Carle, E. (1998). Pancakes, pancakes. New York: Alladin. Carle, E. (1998). Walter the baker. New York: Alladin. Carle, E. (1998). What’s for lunch? New York: Scholastic. Coyle, R. (1988). My first baking book. Breighton Beach, WI: Workman Publishers. dePaola, T. (1990). Pancakes for breakfast. New York: Harcourt Brace. Friedman, M. (2000). Animal crackers. New York: Golden Books. Gershator, D. (1998). Bread is for eating. New York: Holt. Goennel, H. (1995). What I eat. New York: Tambourine Books. Harbison, B. (1997). Loaves of fun. Chicago: Chicago Review Press. Kirk, D. (1997). Miss Spider’s tea party: The counting book. New York: Scholastic. Mahy, M. (1999). Simply delicious. New York: Orchard. Manushkin, F. (1992). Latkes and applesauce: A Hanukkah story. New York: Scholastic. Mayer, M. (1997). The midnight snack: Mercer Mayer’s critters of the night. New York: Random House. Mayer, M. (1998). The Mother Goose cookbook: Rhymes and recipes for the very young. New York: William Morrow & Co. McGrath, B. H. (1999). Let’s eat. Boulder, CO: Western. Moreton, D. (1999). Wheat. New York: Scholastic.
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Morrison, L. (1998). I scream, you scream: A feast of food poems. Little Rock, AK: August House. Numeroff, L., & Saltzberg, B. (1999). Two for stew. New York: Simon & Schuster. Pelham, D. (1994). Sam’s snack. New York: Penguin. Pelham, D. (1995). The sensational samburger. New York: Dutton. Pienkowski, J. (1991). Dinner time. Montgomery, WV: Mini-Pop-up. Pinkney, A. (1997). I smell honey. Orlando, FL: Red Wagon. Rattigan, J. K. (1998). Dumpling soup. Boston: Little Brown. Rey, M. (1997). Pretzel. Boston: Houghton Mifflin. Ruurs, M. (1997). Emma’s eggs. Buffalo, NY: Stoddart Kids. Saltzberg, B. (1995). This is a great place for a hot dog stand. New York: Hyperion. Santoro, S. (1999). Isaac the ice cream truck. New York: Holt. Schwartz, E. (1998). Mr. Belinsky’s bagels. Watertown, MA: Charlesbridge. Seuss, D. (1976). Green eggs and ham. New York: Random House. Sharratt, N. (1998). A cheese and tomato spider. New York: Barron’s. Temple, F. (1998). Tiger soup: An Anansi story from Jamaica. New York: Orchard. Tofts, H. (1998). I eat fruit! Helena, MT: Larousse Kingfisher Chambers. Wilkes, A. (1997). The children’s quick and easy cookbook. New York: DK Publishing. Yacowitz, C. (1998). Pumpkin fiesta. New York: HarperCollins. Yee, P. (1995). Let’s eat. New York: Viking.
KINDERGARTEN–GRADE 3 Amery, H. (1999). What happens to your food. Los Angeles: EDCP. Brown, M. (1997). D.W. the picky eater. Boston: Little Brown. Collins, S. H. (1999). Foods. New York: Garlic Press. Cook, D. F. (1995). The kids’ multicultural cookbook: Food and fun around the world. Charlotte, VT: Williamson. Crook, C. B. (1998). Maple moon. Buffalo, NY: Stoddart Kids. Crowley, J. (1998). Big moon tortilla. Honesdale, PA: Boyds Mills Press. Egan, R. (1997). From wheat to pasta. Chicago: Children’s Press. Ehlert, L. (1987). Growing vegetable soup. New York: Harcourt Brace. Fleming, C. (1999). A big cheese for the White House: The true tale of a tremendous cheddar. New York: DK Ink. Freymann, S. (1999). How are you peeling? Food with moods. New York: Scholastic.
Gelman, R. G. (1993). More spaghetti, I say. New York: Scholastic. Gibbons, G. (1999). The pumpkin book. New York: Holiday House. Ichord, L. F. (1999). Hasty pudding, johnnycakes, and other good stuff: Cooking in Colonial America. Brookfield, CT: Millbrook. Kalbacken, J. (1999). The food pyramid. Chicago: Children’s Press. Lewis, C. S., Baynes, P., & Morgan, M. K. (1998). The Narnia cookbook: Foods from C. S. Lewis’, The Chronicles of Narnia. New York: HarperCollins. Machotka, H. (1992). Pasta factory. Boston: Houghton Mifflin. Mahy, M. (1999). Simply delicious! New York: Orchard. McGinley-Nally, S. (1999). Pigs in the pantry: Fun with math and cooking. New York: Simon & Schuster. Miranda, A. (1997). To market, to market. New York: Harcourt Brace. Naylor, P. R. (1999). Sweet strawberries. New York: Atheneum. Penner, L. R. (1997). Eating the plates: A Pilgrim book of food and manners. New York: Simon & Schuster. Priceman, M. (1996). How to make an apple pie and see the world. New York: Random House. Rosa-Casanova, S. (1997). Mama Provi and the pot of rice. New York: Simon & Schuster. Rockwell, L. (1999). Good enough to eat: A kid’s guide to food and nutrition. New York: HarperCollins. Solheim, J., & Brace, E. (1998). It’s disgusting—and we ate it! Wild and wacky food from around the world—and throughout history! New York: Simon & Schuster. Tate, L. (1999). Teatime with Emma Buttersnap. New York: Holt. Vagin, V. (1998). The enormous carrot. New York: Scholastic. Westcott, N. B. (1994). Never take a pig to lunch and other poems about the fun of food. New York: Orchard. Wisniewski, D. (1999). Tough cookie. New York: Lothrop, Lee & Shepard. Zamorano, A. (1997). Let’s eat! New York: Scholastic.
GRADES 4–5 Bernards, N. (1994). Hunger: Examining cause and effect relationships. Glendale Hts, IL: Greenhaven. Busenberg, B. (1994). Vanilla, chocolate and strawberry: The story of your favorite flavors. Minneapolis, MN: Lerner. Cochrane, J. (1990). Food plants. Chatham, NJ: SteckVaughn. Colen, K. (1995). Peas and honey: Recipes for kids (with a pinch of poetry). Chicago: Wordsong. deGrot, D. (1992). Annie Pitts, artichoke. New York: Simon & Schuster.
CHAPTER 21 Creative Food Experiences
Epstein, S., & Epstein, B. (1989). Bugs for dinner? The eating habits of neighborhood creatures. New York: Macmillan. Erlach, A. (1994). Peanut butter. Minneapolis, MN: Lerner. Fison, J. (1994). Roald Dahl’s revolting recipes. New York: Viking. George, J. C. (1995). Acorn pancakes, dandelion salad, and thirty-eight other wild recipes. New York: HarperCollins. Goodwin, B., & Perez, C. (1995). A taste of Spain. Fresno, CA: Thomson. Hughes, H. (1995). Cooking the Swiss way. Minneapolis, MN: Lerner. Inglis, J. (1993). Fiber. Minneapolis, MN: Carolrhoda. Inglis, J. (1993). Proteins. Minneapolis, MN: Carolrhoda. Haines, G. K. (1992). Sugar is sweet: And so are lots of other things. New York: Atheneum. Hiser, C. (1989). No bean sprouts, please! New York: Holiday House. Lofting, H. (1992). Gub-Gub’s book: An encyclopedia of food in twenty volumes. New York: Simon & Schuster. Nottridge, R. (1993). Additives. Minneapolis, MN: Carolrhoda. Nottridge, R. (1993). Fats. Minneapolis, MN: Carolrhoda. Nottridge, R. (1993). Sugars. Minneapolis, MN: Carolrhoda. Nottridge, R. (1993). Vitamins. Minneapolis, MN: Carolrhoda. Oetkr, D. (1992). Let’s bake. New York: Sterling. Oetkr, D. (1992). Let’s cook. New York: Sterling. Osseo-Asare, F. (1993). A good soup attracts chairs: A first African cookbook for American kids. New York: Pelican. Perham, M., & Rowe, J. (1996). Food. New York: Watts.
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Powell, J. (1995). Food. Chatham, NJ: Raintree. Powell, J. (1997). Fish. Chatham, NJ: Raintree. Powell, J. (1997). Food and your health. Chatham, NJ: Raintree. Ralph, J., & Gompf, R. (1995). The peanut butter cookbook for kids. New York: Hyperion. Rosen, M. J. (Ed.). (1996). Food fight: Poets join the fight against hunger with poems to favorite foods. New York: Harcourt. Rosin, A. (1994). Oclairs and brown bears. New York: Ticknor. Rosin, A. (1999). Pizzas and punk potatoes. New York: Ticknor. Seelig, T. L. (1994). Incredible edible science. New York: Scientific American. Silverstein, A., Silverstein, V., & Silverstein, R. (1992). Carbohydrates. Brookfield, CT: Millbrook. Silverstein, A., Silverstein, V., & Silverstein, R. (1992). Fats. Brookfield, CT: Millbrook. Silverstein, A., Silverstein, V., & Silverstein, R. (1992). Proteins. Brookfield, CT: Millbrook. Ventura, P., Casalini, M., & Ventura, M. M. (1994). Food: Its evolution through the ages. Boston: Houghton Mifflin. Wescott, N. B. (1994). Never take a pig to lunch: And other poems about the fun of eating. New York: Orchard. Wilkes, A. (1994). The children’s step-by-step cookbook. New York: DK Ink.
For additional creative activity resources, visit our Web site at www.EarlyChildEd.delmar.com
CREATIVE SOCIAL STUDIES OBJECTIVES After studying this chapter, you should be able to: 1. Describe some of the first things a young child learns about herself in a social sense. 2. Discuss how to use appropriate activities involving a child’s name, voice, and personal appearance. 3. Discuss the importance of teaching about peace in the early childhood program. 4. Discuss personal celebrations. 5. Discuss ways to include information on community workers in social studies learning experiences. 6. Describe some points to remember in planning field trips for young children.
A
s we begin this chapter on social studies, consider these two examples of young children in social situations.
SITUATION 1 Kim is waiting at home for her son Billy, who is playing next door. When he arrives 20 minutes later than scheduled, she asks what happened. “Well, Mom,” he begins in a grown-up fashion, “Claire’s doll broke and I wanted to help her.” “I didn’t know you knew how to fix dolls,” is his mother’s somewhat surprised reaction. “Oh no, Mom. I don’t know how. I just stayed to help her cry.”
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SITUATION 2 Greg and Marc are building together with blocks. Marc gets angry because Greg takes a block from him. They fight. The teacher intervenes and talks with Marc about using words instead of fists. She tells him to try talking to Greg instead of hitting him—to tell Greg what was making him angry. Finally, believing she has made her point, she asks Marc, “Now, what would you like to do?” Marc answers without hesitation, “Hit him!” And he does!
These incidents, while a bit amusing to the adults involved, both demonstrate the funny, unpredictable nature of young children in social settings. They also illustrate clearly the fact that learning to be part of a social group is not something that is natural or inborn
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in human beings. Young children, like those mentioned, often react in a socially unpredictable way by their very spontaneous reactions to life. Yet, young children can be very sensitive to the feelings of others, even though they are direct and uninhibited in many situations. The fact is that learning about oneself, about others, and how to act with others is a long process. Social studies is the study of human beings in their environment and of the concepts, skills, and attitudes that are needed in order to become social beings. Both the content and the processes of social studies can be integrated into activities in which even very young children can participate. As boys and girls reenact the roles of adults known to them, as they build houses, farms, airports, stores, and parks that they have seen, or dramatize past experiences that have special meaning for them, they learn the content of social studies. As children become aware of community services such as fire and police protection or library and post office facilities, they incorporate them into their play. Social studies are an important part of a child’s education; they help the child understand the complex world in which she lives and enable her to be productive and happy within society’s framework. By their content, social studies are designed to develop intelligent, responsible, self-directing individuals who can function as members of groups—family, community, and world—with which they become identified.
NATIONAL COUNCIL FOR THE SOCIAL STUDIES—NATIONAL STANDARDS A fresh era of thought about teaching social studies began in 1994 when the National Council for the Social Studies (NCSS) identified ten thematic strands of social studies in which all children (K–12) should have learning experiences. These ten themes were developed from a definition that described the social studies as “the integrated study of the social studies and humanities to promote civic competence” (NCSS, 1994, p. 3). The themes point to a fundamental knowledge drawn from many subjects and most heavily from these social sciences: anthropology, archaeology, economics, geography, history, law, philosophy, political science, psychology, religion, and sociology. Each of the ten themes derives meaning from one or more of these subjects. The ten strands are listed in Figure 22–1. The ten themes are meant to serve as a framework for social studies curriculum planning. This chapter will discuss several of these themes as they relate to our discussion of the social studies curriculum. The reader is referred to the reading list at the end of
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1. Culture 2. Time, Continuity, and Change 3. People, Places, and Environments 4. Individual Development and Identity 5. Individuals, Groups, and Institutions 6. Power, Authority, and Governance 7. Production, Distribution, and Consumption 8. Science, Technology, and Society 9. Global Connections 10. Civic Ideals and Practices
FIGURE 22–1
The ten thematic strands of social studies.
this chapter for resources with more detailed, in-depth coverage of these ten social studies thematic strands and their application in the curriculum. Let us now look at general social characteristics of children at various age levels in the early childhood program.
SOCIAL CHARACTERISTICS While it is impossible to predict with any certainty the developmental pattern of any individual, there are general characteristics common to age groups. The following is a summary of age-level social characteristics.
Preschool and kindergarten. Socially at this age level, friendships are usually limited to one or two “best” friends, but these may change frequently. Play groups are not too well organized and tend to change often. Although quarrels are frequent, they tend to be of short duration. There is great pleasure in dramatic play and beginning awareness of sex roles. Emotional development is at a volatile stage—emotions are expressed freely and outbursts of anger are common. A vivid imagination frequently leads to grossly exaggerated fears. Competition for adult affection breeds jealousy. Mentally, students are developing rapidly in the acquisition of language. They enjoy talking to each other and in front of groups. Imagination and fantasy are at their peak.
Primary grades (6–9 years). Although friendship patterns are still likely to be characterized by “best friends,” greater selectivity is now evident in the choice of friends. Games are more organized, but there is great
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common. While the desire for independence grows, the need for adult support is still strong—therefore unpredictable behavior often results. Curiosity still remains strong at this age. Children frequently become “collectors” during this age. With these social developmental characteristics in mind, let us now look at how the early childhood program can include both developmental levels and the social studies themes/standards.
LEARNING ABOUT ONE’S WORLD
FIGURE 22–2
A child learns to relate to adults other than her parents in the early childhood program.
emphasis on “rules.” Quarrels are still frequent as are physical aggression, competition, and boasting. Although the difference in interests of boys and girls becomes more pronounced at this age, there is great variation in behavior from one classroom to another because of influences exerted by teachers. Emotionally, children become very sensitive during this period. Criticism, ridicule, and failure can be devastating. Despite their own sensitivity, they are quick to hurt others. Generally, students are eager to please the teacher and want to do well in school, for which reasons they require frequent praise. Eagerness to learn is common to this age group. Learning occurs primarily through concrete manipulation of materials. Eagerness to talk is still evident and there is much experimentation with language—including obscene language. Concepts of reciprocity, fairness, and right and wrong develop during this period.
Elementary grades (9–12 years). Peer groups begin to replace adults as sources of behavior standards and the recognition of achievement. Interests become more sharply different between the sexes—frequently resulting in “battles” between them for recognition and achievement, as well as the exchange of insults. Team games become more popular, along with class spirit. Crushes and hero worship are common. This is the period when the conflict between adults and the group code begins to emerge. Instead of a rigid following of rules, youngsters at this age begin to understand the need for exceptions. Frequently they set very high standards for themselves—sometimes unreal standards—hence feelings of frustration are
A child’s universe begins with himself, extends to his family, and then to the larger community. The development of a child’s self-concept, his awareness of self, is the important beginning point in social studies for young children. To know oneself in a social sense involves learning such things as one’s name, one’s ethnic background, family grouping, and occupations in one’s family. In the early childhood years learning about oneself is at a basic level; that is, young children are learning about how their lives fit into the larger social group. Children learn about where they live—in a house, an apartment, or a condominium—and how it is like and unlike the residences of their peers. They learn the similarities and differences among families in form, style of living, and values. Those who work with young children from preschool through the early and later elementary years can help them discover and appreciate their own uniqueness by beginning with a positive acceptance of each child. In the early childhood years, young children need opportunities to live important experiences, to learn in an active way. The following sections contain suggestions for including the thematic strands of social studies in the curriculum.
INDIVIDUAL DEVELOPMENT AND IDENTITY SELF-AWARENESS—HOW DO I LOOK? A positive awareness and acceptance of one’s own appearance is part of the social aspect of learning “Who am I?” In the room, for example, a full-length mirror in a safe, but clearly visible, place at child-level is one way for children to see themselves and each other. Some
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children have few opportunities to see their reflections because mirrors in their homes are too high. Providing an unbreakable hand mirror in the room is another way to encourage children to see themselves. Magnifying makeup mirrors also produce interesting reactions from the children when they see their enlarged images. The following suggested activities are designed to develop a young child’s awareness and appreciation of the uniqueness of her physical appearance.
Suggested activities. ■ Use an unbreakable mirror to bring out the idea that we are more alike than different. Discuss color, size, and shape of eyes, hair, nose, mouth, ears, etc. Children may draw pictures of their faces. Pictures are cut out, mounted on a low board, and labeled. ■ Supply children with pictures of people with missing body parts. The children describe what part is missing. ■ Put flannelboard cutouts of a boy and girl on the flannelboard. The teacher deliberately places body parts in the wrong area, such as an arm in the leg’s place. Have children be detectives to discover what is wrong and place parts in the right location. ■ Play the game “Policeman, Where Is My Child?” One child is the policeman, another the mother. Mother describes the physical appearance of her missing child (dress, hair, eyes). All the children become involved as they look at themselves to see if they’re being described. The policeman tries to guess which child in the room belongs to the mother. ■ In the art center keep available an array of found materials for making dress-up accessories such as jewelry, hats, or masks. ■ Offer finger paint or water-based ink for making handprints and footprints. ■ Provide plaster of Paris for making molds of hands from Plasticene models. ■ Encourage older children to draw self-portraits. ■ Trace the shape of children’s bodies as they lie down on large sheets of paper. Children can dress these life-sized figures with fabric, felt, yarn, buttons, beads, and any other found materials that interest them. Additional activities are at the end of this chapter.
LEARNING NAMES One of the first social learnings a young child has is to learn to recognize her own name. In the early childhood program, this recognition is further developed by
FIGURE 22–3
Being able to be independent and function as a member of a group is an important social goal.
teacher’s and peers’ recognition of this name. This basic learning is directly related to a child’s individual identity. Make it a point to concentrate on individual names of children in planned activities. This will further develop children’s self-knowledge as well as help them appreciate their own uniqueness. The following strategies are suggested in your work with young children to help focus on the individual uniqueness of each child. STRATEGIES FOR FOCUSING ON EACH CHILD’S UNIQUENESS ■ Use the child’s name as much as possible when speaking to her and not endearments like “honey,” “dear,” and the like. ■ Write a child’s name on her work in the upper lefthand corner to teach the left to right sequence. While writing the child’s name, say it. This provides an auditory and visual model. ■ At transition times call the child by name to go to another activity or to tell the teacher which activity he wants to go to. “Johnny Jones, you may ride the tricycle today. Sally Smith, you may clean off the table.”
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■ Instruct the children to go tell another child something. “Jim, please tell Mary it is time to come inside.” Here the child is not only hearing his name, he is beginning to be able to say the other child’s name and a sentence as he follows the teacher’s direction. ■ When the children are in a group for a story, the teacher can go around and say each child’s name. This can then progress to letting the other children, as a group, say the child’s name as the teacher places her hand in front of the child. ■ Encourage children to draw, paint, or model themselves and their families in personally meaningful ways: Me and My Best Friend; I Am Playing with My Favorite Toy; I Am Helping at My House; My Family at Dinner Time; My Family Went to . . . ; My Wish. These renditions can be used for cooperative murals, booklets, and jigsaw puzzles. ■ Provide a variety of media and found materials in the art center for children to make puppets of themselves or their families. Additional activities are at the end of this chapter. Concentrating on the child’s voice, which is as individual as each child’s name, is another good way to help develop young children’s awareness of self identity. Here are some suggestions on how to actively involve young children in learning that they each have a unique voice.
Suggested activities—voice. ■ Compile a tape of all the members of the class. Discuss how each person has a different voice tone. Children speak into the tape recorder, listen to the voices, and guess whose they are. ■ Record children telling their favorite stories (The Three Bears, Three Billy Goats Gruff, Little Red Riding Hood), emphasizing voice inflections for the different characters. ■ Play the game “Who Am I?” One child is in the center of the circle and is “it.” “It” tries to guess who says “Who Am I?” The speaker disguises her voice after the children have mastered the game with their natural voices. ■ Have the children feel objects of various textures. Another day, discuss voices using familiar comparisons. “Is your voice grating? High? Low? Soft? Hard? Scratching?” Have a box or chart of textured objects for the children to feel, such as steel wool, corrugated metal, silk, velvet, cotton puffs, wool, or a small mirror. Additional activities are at the end of this chapter.
PEOPLE, PLACES, AND ENVIRONMENTS: THE BLOCK CENTER Learning about people, places, and environments is the third social studies theme in the national standards. The block center is an excellent place for learning about the community and neighborhood. Play models of various members of the family and people from various races, ethnic groups, industries, and professions, as well as small wheel toys with the blocks, all encourage true social play in the block center. When children play together in the block corner, they learn to share, communicate, and resolve conflicts. Children see that cleanup is easier when they cooperate with one another. Building with blocks builds friendships, too, as children create structures together and role-play events from daily life or their imaginations. Dramatic play using blocks also helps young children work through important emotional issues. Because there is no right or wrong way to play, building with blocks helps boost a child’s self-esteem. Knocking down block structures helps children feel powerful and in control. Here are some ways to encourage block play for all children. ■ Locate the block and housekeeping areas side by side, so children can combine activities. ■ Provide props and accessories that appeal to girls as well as boys. Boys may prefer tools, transportation toys, and uniformed block figures. Girls often prefer accessories, like scarves, fabric pieces, carpet samples, and an assortment of colored paper bits and pieces, and family block figures. Both boys and girls like to play with animal figures. ■ Intervene when you observe gender bias—if you hear Sam and Anthony telling Mary she can’t play with them because they’re building a firehouse and girls can’t be firemen, let children know that in your room everyone can play with everything that’s available. You might introduce the term “firefighter,” instead of “fireman,” or read books about adults having careers traditionally held by the opposite sex. ■ Post pictures of boys and girls enjoying block activities together (Burkhardt, 1993). Figure 22–4 presents more ideas on inspiring and expanding children’s social learnings in block play.
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ENCOURAGING BLOCK PLAY You can inspire block builders by providing interesting props and accessories to help children expand their play themes. Here are some ways to spark children’s interest: Decorate block-corner walls. Hang pictures, photos, posters, and blueprints of buildings, bridges, towers, and roadways. If children enjoy drawing their own pictures of construction sites, hang those up, too. Include pictures of men, women, and children of all races doing a variety of jobs, to let children know that blocks and construction are for everyone. Visit a construction site. Young children benefit from direct experiences. If possible, visit a construction site several times so children can see the building’s progression. Read books with construction themes. Young children enjoy stories about construction and equipment, such as Kathy and the Big Snow and Mike Mulligan and His Steam Shovel, both by Virginia L. Burton (Houghton Mifflin). The Big Book of Real Fire Trucks and Fire Fighting by Teddy Slater (Grosset and Dunlap, 1987), The Big Book of Real Trucks, by Walter Retan (Grosset and Dunlap, 1990), and How Many Trucks Can a Tow Truck Tow? by Charlotte Pomerantz (Random House, 1987) are also excellent for this purpose. Other possible block accessories.
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Animals: everything from zoo and farm animals to dinosaurs. People: families (various ethnic groups) and community workers (nonstereotypic). Trucks of all varieties, cars, airplanes, fire engines, ambulances, boats, etc. Puppets Rocks Batteries and bulbs, pulleys, string, tape, paper, and magic markers for descriptive signs, road signs, water, scenery
FIGURE 22–4
Encouraging block play.
PEOPLE IN THE COMMUNITY Since a child does not exist in isolation, he is dependent upon people in the community. Many people provide services for him—the police, the bus driver, and the baker, for example. As a child meets people in the community, he learns about the many roles people play and tests some of these roles in his dramatic play. He takes his tool kit and goes to fix the telephone. He becomes involved in relationships in which adults play varied roles and people depend upon each other. He passes a firehouse in the neighborhood and sees where the firefighters are stationed. He goes to the garage with his mother and sees the mechanic fix their car. He goes to the post office with his brother and mails a letter to Grandmother. Children learn, through everyday experiences such as these, that others help them and they help others. A good place to begin a discussion about understanding others in the child’s world then is to learn about people in the child’s most immediate environment. This includes the people who serve the school and community. There are many people in the child’s immediate environment. It is important to emphasize the importance of all of these individuals. Each
FIGURE 22–5
Dramatic play allows children to try on social roles in a safe environment.
member helps to make the whole community where we live and go to school what it is; all jobs are important. The following activities are designed to help develop the idea of the importance of community workers.
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FIGURE 22–7
FIGURE 22–6
Learning to feel good about oneself is an important social learning skill for young children.
Community workers. ■ Find out when the garbage is collected at the school. Be there when the truck comes. Talk to the workers about their job, the service they perform, the truck and its operation and care, and possibly how citizens can help get the garbage ready for the collector. Don’t overlook the fact that these helpers are also people with personal lives. Children can learn to understand that the men and women in our labor force also have spouses, children, hobbies, pets, and so on, just like the rest of us. ■ Follow the preceding procedure for postal workers, grocery store clerks, mechanics, painters, laundry workers, bus drivers, cooks in the cafeteria, and custodians. ■ Follow the preceding procedure for professional and semiprofessional workers—secretary, principal, nurse, music teacher, librarian, and others. Such activity should follow careful planning with the children as well as with the people you may visit. Preparing the adults beforehand for the kind of questions they can expect will give them a chance to organize their thinking. Discussing courteous and safe behavior with the children is also important. If the people you talk to can be persuaded to visit the classroom informally, the experience will be all the more effective. ■ Be a Worker. Dramatization can be a useful teaching technique to help children learn more about com-
Being able to get along with others is a key social learning skill.
munity helpers and workers in the city. Costumes for use in the classroom can be simple, with only a hat, a mask, or an object to carry suggesting the characterization. Some children may want to bring an article of clothing to serve as a costume. Playing the role of adults may take the form of a parade, a guessing game, pantomime, or play. Such experiences help broaden the child’s understanding of life in the local community.
Excursions into the community. Every school is located in a community. You can safely assume that every community has members who care about the well-being of its children and who possess talents, hobbies, and resources that can enrich children’s learning experiences. An excursion into the community may help young children gain new information and clarify other information and can enhance and extend children’s experiences. After one trip around the block, a group of fiveyear-olds arranged a barber shop and kept up their dramatic play as barbers for several days. Even the teacher sat in a chair as the children pretended to cut her hair using their fingers as scissors. Often the comment is heard, “Why take children to a fruit and vegetable store when they shop there every week with their parents?” A visit to a store with a teacher and a group of peers is a very different experience from the same trip with mother. When a teacher takes a group to a store, the purpose of the trip is to give the children a specific experience. The event focuses on them and their purposes. When children go to a store with their families, ordinarily they are hurried along and the child’s experience is not the major consideration of the trip. Thus, because the purposes are different on a school excursion, the experience is different.
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FIGURE 22–8
Friendships and the peer group grow in importance with older children.
Any planned excursion should be either an outgrowth of children’s experiences or meet a specific need. A teacher helped a group of children order carrot and radish seeds from a catalog for the school garden. Then they took a trip to the corner mailbox, a meaningful excursion because they were carrying an important letter. Within the same group of children, needs will differ. For instance, a teacher taking four children to the zoo found that for three of them the short bus trip back and forth was the exciting part of the trip because they had never been on a bus before. For the other child, the bus ride was an everyday event, and the giraffe was the highlight of the trip. When a teacher took two children to a department store to buy burlap for a bulletin board, the ride on the escalator was the event most remembered. Children enjoy walks around the neighborhood. They notice leaves changing colors, squirrels running about, ice on the branches of trees, and birds feeding their young. While most trips are planned in advance, sometimes a teacher must do on-the-spot planning. When the children heard new and different noises outside, the teacher took them out to watch the repairmen at work.
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anticipate any potential disruptive behavior. In many classrooms, some children may become overstimulated by the interruption of their daily routines. You will need to familiarize yourself with the community in which the school is situated before planning excursions—become familiar with street signs and working people who come and go from the school, shops, business establishments, buildings, and service. Talk with people in the community. As you plan, try to anticipate the children’s reactions, remembering that you are planning for young children. This means that you will need to keep in mind these basic guidelines in planning all excursions. ■ Keep it simple. ■ Discuss, read about, and organize play around the places to be visited in advance. ■ Encourage close observations while on the outing. ■ Give small amounts of information if children are interested. ■ Provide time, materials, and enthusiasm for followup plans and projects. CELEBRATIONS Celebrations are part of a child’s life. A child becomes more sensitive about his own feelings and of the feelings of others when he rejoices with them in celebration. Through celebrations, a child in his own way can be part of a group and acknowledge a special day or event. Birthdays are special events for the child, and they should be treated according to individual needs. All the children in the room need not join his birthday celebration. Sometimes they will, but often only a small group joins a child in honoring his birthday. In many
Planning for trips. A teacher needs to do a good bit of planning for a trip. The purpose of a trip is to provide children with firsthand experiences. A child should not only be able to see, hear, and smell, but he should be able to touch and taste as well. A teacher also needs to know the children and their special interests and concerns. You should not consider any trips until you are certain that you know the children well enough to
FIGURE 22–9
A field trip to a neighborhood museum can be an exciting learning experience for young children.
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Field Trip Videos
Field trips are important to children’s learning. “Field trip” videos may be the next best thing. Although they are not interactive (as a CD-ROM tour might be), videos can be stopped at certain points for discussion, plus they generally offer supplemental in-class exercises. The videos listed below are characterized by remarkable variety in design, approaches, and applications. Although field trip videos are not substitutes for the real thing, they may provide preparation for an actual excursion, or they can serve as reinforcement, or an enjoyable opportunity for a second visit. When reality and video meet, a veritable explosion of learning opportunities can occur, and learning can become vital, relevant, and limitless. Field trip videos can even assist the teacher in demonstrating field trip safety, manners, protocol, and preparation (e.g., remembering to bring hats, sunscreen, lunch, water, binoculars, a magnifying glass…). Field trip videos strongly recommended include: Kids Express, Moody Video Collections, and Schoolworks. Kids Express. Field trips also can mean making friends and bonding with others through a common experience. Miss Shirley Bowers, an author with many years’ experience as an early childhood educator, communicates great warmth in Kids Express. Her field trip context is carefully designed to stimulate young minds, and to build independence and self-reliance. Kids Express field trips are built on the philosophy that children need exposure to varied and integrated experiences in a safe environment. You will meet a great staff of friends and helpers in these videos. Happy Campers offers assistance for the young child exploring nature, and Little Rodeo Wranglers spends a day at the ranch with good music and good friends. Each video integrates music, literature, art, cooking, history, science, and math. Ultimately, Miss Shirley tries to prepare children to be part of society by modeling how to better interact with one another. More Miss Shirley videos include: Science Ooze and Awes, Finishing School for Young Ladies & Gentlemen, Americana, and Kids Can Cook. The series is geared for children ages 3–8. For more information to purchase these videos, contact KidsExpress at 1-888-492-5437, or by e-mail at
[email protected]. Moody Video Collections. Moody Science Videos were some of the first visual learning excursions into ocean, space, caves, and even the honeybee hive. They include such scenes as time-lapse photography of plants actively germinating and growing miraculously, becoming full grown in a matter of seconds. Such sequences have since become classics. Moody has updated its many science video library contributions for home and school with appealing titles in the Science Adventure Series, such as Treasure Hunt, Flying on Wings of Beauty, The Clown-Faced Carpenter, The Long Journey, and The Wonder of You. They feature topics such as caves, spiders, butterflies, seeds, woodpeckers, space, water, animal migration, blood circulation, the human body and more. Children ages 3–10 will enjoy these videos, which are suited for both home and school. Contact Moody Video at 1-800-842-1223 or visit the Web site at www.moodyvideo.org. Schoolworks. Seldom do we get the chance while on a field trip to interview the zookeeper or the museum curator. This is where the Video Field Trip Series is particularly valuable. The videos conveniently supplement field trips in a more up-close-and-personal fashion, for all to enjoy. Another advantage is the chance to visit sites that may be too distant to visit in person. The Video Field Trip Series cleverly explores careers as well. Series titles now available include To the Zoo, To the BFI Recyclery, and To a Glassmaking Studio. McDonald’s and Longs Drugstores have cooperated in supporting and encouraging the development of the Video Field Trip Series. In addition, Schoolworks donates a percentage of their profits to public schools. K–8 students will find insights about the real world from these adventurous and fun videos. Schoolworks videos are available by calling 1-800-396-8754.
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schools, parents are invited for the occasion. The parents’ presence at the party is welcome, but if parents are unable to attend, this should not be allowed to detract from the celebration. Many parties given in honor of a child’s birthday are overstimulating. For some children, a large crowd of people and too much confusion are upsetting. Young children are happy with small recognitions; a child counts the candles on his cake and then blows them out—a very exciting event for him.
Personal celebrations. In the life of any child, there are events that deserve celebrations. When a teacher observes that a child, through his glee or sadness, is moved by a situation, the experience is worth emphasizing with a small but personal celebration. For example, a child ties his shoes by himself for the first time. For many children, this is a very special event. The teacher may take time to say, “Great! You did it,” or “Show me how you did it!” or “How does it feel to do it all by yourself?” You might want to share a
FIGURE 22–10
Older children enjoy making displays and sharing their interests and hobbies with friends.
Virtual Field Trips
The Internet is a powerful tool for learning about the world. Older students will enjoy the following virtual field trips and other social studies related Web field trips. Visit the White House. On this White House Web page, kids can send an e-mail message to the President, take an on-line tour of the First Lady’s garden, read current press releases, and access information about other government agencies: www.whitehouse.gov. Visit Other Countries. To find about www servers in other countries and information about those countries, visit the Virtual Tourist Web page: www.xmission.com/~kinesava/webmap/. You can also visit this site for information using interactive maps. Have a Mayan Adventure. At the Science Museum of Minnesota, explore the ancient and modern Maya Culture: www.sci.mus.mn.us/sln/ma. There you will find online exhibits, science activities, and other resources in the exhibit halls. Also check out their sister site, the Thinking Fountain at: www.sci.mus.mn.us/sln for more creative activities. Look into the Daily Almanac. Find out many fun and interesting facts on the Daily Almanac Web site: www.nova.edu/Inter-Links/fun/alamanc.html. You can find out what is the current U.S. national debt and how much of it each citizen is responsible for. Other facts you’ll find are current U.S. population, as well as fun stuff like your “humorscope” at the Daily Almanac page. Have a Ball at KidsCom! Don’t miss this site at www.kidscom.com! KidsCom is a communication playground just for kids ages 8–12, but adults will have fun here, too. The page is available in French, German, English, or Spanish with lots of tips and ideas for teachers and parents. Children can find keypals, enter contests, play geography games, and ask Tobie Wan Kenobi, an Internet guru, technical Internet questions.
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FIGURE 22–12
FIGURE 22–11
Being able to do things for oneself is basic to developing a positive self-concept.
new accomplishment of your own at a time like this. “I just learned how to drive a car and I feel so good when I can go out in the car and drive all by myself!” Share good feelings with children, and a child begins to learn that feelings are important and worth celebrating. When a child ties his shoes, the teacher’s knowing glance the next day reaffirms his positive feelings about himself.
TEACHING YOUNG CHILDREN ABOUT PEACE Preventing conflicts is the work of politics; establishing peace is the work of education. —Maria Montessori
This quote very simply outlines a very complicated mission for early childhood teachers—teaching about peace. The National Association for the Education of Young Children, in 1991, also challenged early childhood teachers to teach peace, reminding us that of all the lessons we hope to teach young children, the ability to act in peace is one of the most important. This seems even more critical in light of the increasing violence in our country, as well as in our schools.
Learning how to share and eat socially with others at the table is an important social learning for young children.
This is a complicated idea—this teaching peace— for many reasons. First, many adults don’t understand the meaning of peace. For purposes of our discussion, peace is defined as a “state of tranquility or quiet; a freedom from civil disturbance, a state of security or order within a community provided for by law or custom” (Bernat, 1993, p. 36). Another reason peace is such a difficult topic to teach is that most adults have not been able to maintain peace in their own world. Finally, we certainly must ask a basic question—how can we teach young children about peace in a world so filled with strife and conflict? Many early childhood experts have written about this challenge of teaching young children about peace. You will find references at the end of this chapter covering the writings of these experts. They address the many issues related to peace, such as cooperation, democratic behavior, respect for others, peer acceptance, social competence, and trust. To sum up the core idea of these writings, peace begins with a basic attitude, made up of trust, respect, and consideration toward everyone. When the attitudes of trust, respect, and consideration are present in the environment, it is a safe place for people to be themselves. In a safe environment, people have a sense that it is acceptable to be unique; it is acceptable to disagree; and it is expected that disputes are settled without hurting one another. Every interaction in a safe environment reflects consideration and respect for individual differences (Bernat, 1993; NAEYC, 1991). We can choose to create an environment that teaches children how to live peacefully with one another. In every action we have with another person, we can
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Folktales: Learning About Other Cultures
Children’s literature offers young children another way to identify and empathize with others. Over the centuries, all people have told stories. Introducing young children to the folktales of other cultures may help them feel better connected to people far away in time and space—a far cry from a tourist curriculum. You may find that reading different versions of the same folktale helps children see that people the world over share the same feelings, hopes, dreams, and concerns. An example is The Three Billy Goats Gruff (Blair, 1964) and the Mexican tale Borrequita and the Coyote (Aardema, 1991), which have similar themes. You may find that fables can also help teach young children about values. Carmine the Crow (Holder, 1993) conveys more about why people should be kind to the elderly than any number of more obvious tales about nice little children visiting nursing homes: Carmine the crow lives alone with his tinfoil collection and his little habits: a cup of tea to drink and old ballads “to cheer himself up.” After rescuing a gorgeous swan, he is given a small box of stardust with which he can fulfill his dreams. As he hurries through the meadow, however, he discovers a mouse, a frog, and a rabbit all in need of wishes answered. He gives away his stardust and heads home to his old-man chair and his little bed of nettles. Although the story has a happy ending, it will haunt the reader with its sensitive depiction of being old and set in one’s ways. An authentic Navajo legend, Ma’ii and Cousin Horned Toad (Begay, 1993), teaches the importance of generosity. The story details how the lazy coyote Ma’ii tries to outwit his industrious toad cousin. The coyote finds out that small and generous is not necessarily stupid. A true sense of the Southwest is intertwined by the Navajo poems woven throughout the story. The Fortune-Teller (Alexander, 1993) tells the story of a lucky young carpenter who desperately wants more out of life than nails and elbow grease in his village in Cameroon, Africa. Through a series of happy accidents, he ends up rich and blessed. But what makes the folktale so memorable is the expressive African faces, the rich hues of the villagers’ garb, and the pictures that convey a true sense of tribe and extended family.
cause hurt or not. It is our choice. It is the responsibility of a teacher to realize that this choice exists and to teach children about their choices. If we realize this, we will choose carefully. If we value one another, we will not choose to harm each other. In turn, we must help young children understand their choices. For example, an increase in rowdiness results in an increase of people getting hurt. Children must learn to make choices about their style of play, and they must learn that they share responsibility for the results of their actions. They also need to learn that they can choose to stop upsetting behavior in the future, to slow the pace before someone gets hurt. One expert in teaching peace, Valerie Bernat, suggests that this process of teaching young children about their choices begins with the implementation of two simple rules. ■ Don’t hurt anybody. ■ Use words to settle problems (Bernat, 1993, p. 36).
Don’t hurt anybody. This is a simple rule—on the surface. Yet, just think of how many ways there are to hurt other people. Physical blows hurt. But so do unkind words, gestures, teasing, and exclusion. All of these are harmful and can interfere with a child’s ability to learn in general, as well as learning how to act in peace.
Use words. Disagreements are a natural part of life, and they will occur in the lives of young children. The key to peaceful settlement is to maintain harmony in stressful situations. It is sometimes difficult for a child to take a deep breath and clearly express the feelings of the moment. At stressful times, times of conflict or disagreements, it is important for the teacher to be with the children—but to show, not to tell. Steady the children in whatever way you can. Holding them closely in your arms or on your lap often helps a child gain focus in a stressful situation. Help the child express herself. But don’t put words in the child’s mouth. And make sure
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FIGURE 22–13
Children learn about other people in their community, which broadens their social world.
that conflicting children listen to one another. Asking them to repeat, or retell, what each has said to the other is one way to see if they are listening to each other. A TEACHER’S ROLE It is not necessary (or possible) for you to find solutions for every child’s problems. You need only create an atmosphere in which children can work out their own solutions. It is the teacher’s job to give children the tools they need to define and settle differences. Teaching children how to use words to express themselves instead of actions to express emotions is one of the most important of these tools. Childhood classrooms are very special places, and they must be focused on the child. In these classrooms, there are many different personalities, different needs, different styles of behavior, and different ethnic and family backgrounds. Common to all these groups is the need to feel safe. Only on this basis can we begin to build a framework of trust and respect. It is within such a framework that each child has a chance to grow and learn. It is in the preschool class that the teaching of peace must begin. If young children do not learn it from us, will they learn it at all? SOCIAL STUDIES FOR OLDER CHILDREN The main focus of this chapter has been on social studies for children in the early years. Now let us briefly consider social studies for older children. As we have seen, children in the middle and upper elementary levels are capable of more flexible thought. Social studies activities are an excellent avenue for exploring the personal and social changes this age group is experiencing. For
example, the social studies standard’s theme of Individual Development and Identity can provide the basis for many learning opportunities in areas such as peer pressure, conformity, personal identity, self-concept and social expectations, to name a few. The social studies theme of Power, Authority, and Governance is an excellent base for developing learning experiences for students about their own individual rights and responsibilities in the increasingly complex social world of which they are part. For example, students can be asked to develop hypothetical communities in which certain students play different power and authority roles. They can role-play enforcing rules when someone breaks one. They can also begin to study power and authority in their local community. Using the NCSS theme of Culture and Cultural Diversity as a curriculum base, teachers can develop experiences to provide students an in-depth study of the specific aspects of particular cultures in similar and different places, times, conditions, and contexts. Teachers can encourage students to consider the direct and indirect connections between the assumptions, beliefs, and values of a culture. Teachers can help students analyze ways that a people’s cultural ideas and actions influence its members. Through such study, students can begin to consider the impact traditions have on a person’s thoughts and actions within any particular social group. Basing learning activities on the ten social study themes will provide students at this age level many opportunities to explore their complex and changing social world.
SUMMARY Knowing how to be part of a social group is not natural or inborn in human beings. Learning about oneself and others and how to act with others is a long learning process. Social studies are an important part of a child’s learning; they help the child understand the complex world in which she lives and enable her to be productive and happy within a social framework. The social studies of the preschool child must focus on the experiences of the child in her immediate environment. In 1994, the National Council for the Social Studies (NCSS) developed ten thematic strands in which all children (K–12) should have learning experiences. Learning about oneself in a social sense includes learning one’s name, one’s ethnic background, and such things as family grouping and occupations in one’s family. In the early childhood program, learning about oneself is at a basic level; that is, young children learn how their lives fit into the larger social group.
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Those who work with young children from preschool through the entire period of early childhood can help them discover and appreciate their own uniqueness by beginning with a positive acceptance of each child. Teaching young children about peace begins with a basic attitude of trust, respect, and consideration toward everyone. Two basic rules make up the basis of teaching about peace: (1) don’t hurt anybody and (2) use words. Appropriate social learnings and related activities for young children are learning that each person is a unique individual; learning self-awareness; learning about the immediate community and its workers; and taking appropriate excursions into the community. The block area provides young children with many opportunities to actively experience many of these ideas.
KEY TERMS personal celebration teaching peace
ten thematic strands of social studies
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3. Observe a dispute between children in an early childhood setting. Record how it was settled. Then compare this method of settlement with the information presented in this chapter on teaching about peace. How did the real-life settlement compare? Did it help the children involved learn about peace? Why or why not?
ACTIVITIES FOR CHILDREN SUGGESTIONS FOR EXCURSIONS APPROPRIATE FOR YOUNG CHILDREN
Supermarket. As eager as young children are, they have a limited attention span, so do not try to do too much. Make several trips to the supermarket, each with a different focus. Watch the goods being delivered. Watch the boxes being unpacked and merchandise being stamped. Look at all the different kinds of machines in the store. Produce department. What are some things dis-
LEARNING ACTIVITIES A. List specific ways to enhance a child’s understanding of self, other than those in this chapter. B. There are many activities and experiences appropriate for teaching children concepts of self and other people. Think of at least three ideas other than those in this chapter. C. Prepare a unit plan on one of the following: family, self, or a specific community worker such as a firefighter. For your unit plan, include a section titled “Children’s Books” and include stories and other appropriate language arts activities. D. Child Study: 1. Select three children of different ages (e.g., three, five, and nine years) and ask each separately to describe things like what fathers do, what the children can or cannot do when they grow up, or what happens when they are afraid. Do not contribute your own opinions until you are sure the children have said all they would like to about the matter. 2. What changes in ideas do you notice as you listen to children of different ages? Did any of the children have a definite misunderstanding about some aspect of the issue you discussed? If so, how did you respond? How should parents respond when this happens?
played on special cardboard or wrapped in individual papers? Why are some things displayed on crushed ice or refrigerated? See if you and the children can name the fruits and vegetables.
Dairy department. What kinds of things are sold here? Why are they kept cold? Where do the various products come from?
Meat department. Watch the butcher cut and package meat. Why is the meat kept cold? Is it cold in the back, too? See how many varieties of meat you can name. Bakery department. Compare the ovens with the ovens at home and the size of the flour sacks with the sacks that you buy. Notice the quantities of baked goods and the process of baking. What kinds of clothes do the bakers wear? Why?
Shoe repair shop. Watch the repairman make repairs. Try to give him something that needs fixing. What kinds of machines does he have? What kinds of materials does he use? Try to get some scraps to take back for making collages.
Dry-cleaning shop. What kinds of smells are in the air there? What kind of machine is used for ironing? How does the cleaner know which clothes are yours?
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Pet store. What kinds of pets does this store have? Are there any unusual ones? What do the various pets eat? What kinds of houses do they provide for the various pets?
Florist’s shop. Visiting this shop is an especially good activity on a cold winter’s day when everything outside is barren and bleak. A walk through the greenhouse may bring many questions to mind: Why are the flowers growing inside the greenhouse and not outdoors? What kinds of plants are there? What kinds of smells are there? How does the florist keep cut flowers from dying? Buy a plant and learn how to take care of it. The workroom, where bouquets, baskets of flowers, and corsages are assembled, will be of interest to children. The police officer and crossing guard. Within walking distance of your school there is probably an intersection or a school where a police officer or crossing guard is on duty. Watch what she does. How does she tell the vehicles and pedestrians to go? To stop? The children enjoy talking to the officer and getting a good look at her uniform. The police station is of interest to the children, too; perhaps the desk sergeant on duty will spend a few minutes visiting with the children. (You will plan this in advance, of course.) He may show the child the inside of a police car, show them the radio, and give the children a short safety speech. Mail delivery. Make arrangements to meet your own letter carrier at your mailbox and then at the nearest pick-up box on the corner to watch her gather the mail. Buy a stamp and mail a letter at the post office. Children are not usually allowed in the back of most post offices, but they can see a good deal if they look through the window of the parcel-post counter: Watch the packages being weighed and mailed. Bus driver (conductor). Sit near the driver of the bus. Watch what he does. Look at his uniform.
Fire station. Some fire departments have openhouse days. If yours does not, make an appointment for a visit ahead of time. Do not insist that the children get on the equipment, even if invited to do so. Climbing on an engine can be a frightening experience for some young children. Usually the child is invited to try on a firefighter’s hat, watch a firefighter slide down the pole, and inspect the engine. Find out how the fire alarm works, where the different firefighters stand on the truck, and what each of them does at a fire. Later look at fire hydrants and fire escapes in buildings. Point out fire doors and fire extinguishers or sprinklers in various buildings.
Library. Take the children to the children’s section of the library. Let them browse. Show them that all the books have letters or letters and numbers written on the bindings. Why? Perhaps your library has a storybook time that you can attend. How does the librarian know which book you take out? Take out some books so the children can see the procedure. Sanitation workers. Be aware of the sanitation workers, street sweepers, or snowplow drivers in action and how they are dressed. Why do they wear gloves?
Construction site. What kind of building is going up? What are the girders for? What kinds of machines can you see? What do they do? How do the workers dress? Why?
Repair site.
Observe a surface or underground repair site. What is being fixed? What equipment is in use? How are the workers dressed? Why? What is under the street or sidewalk? Where did the rocks and soil come from? Try to explain to the children that the site of the city was once countryside.
Printing plant or newspaper plant. Call ahead of time and find out if tours are available and when the presses are operating. Remember to bring some paper remnants back for the children’s artwork. SELF-AWARENESS ACTIVITIES
All about me. ■ From magazines, children can cut pictures that they like or that remind them of themselves. ■ Make a puzzle of each child’s name, using both first and last names. ■ Make up “Guess Who” riddles describing individual children. Suggest clues that reflect the child’s positive characteristics. ■ Make a set of flash cards or similar cards with pictures of community workers. The children could be encouraged to bring pictures of their parents at their jobs or wearing clothing appropriate for that job. An additional game could be collecting pictures of tools or items related to various jobs and having the children sort them. ■ Interviews with community helpers could be taped on a recorder if the workers cannot visit the classroom. Children will be especially proud to hear their parents tell about their professions and jobs. ■ Encourage children to cut or tear out and paste magazine pictures which show people or families of
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different ages or cultures having fun or working together. ■ Keep a supply of pictures of people available for very young children to paste into books. Older children might wish to mount the pictures as a mural on a background they have prepared with other media.
How do I look? ■ Discuss differences in sex. Ask: “Do girls look different from boys? How? Dresses? Hair? What else? Do men look different from ladies? How? Do they sound different?” If a child brings out the difference in sex organs, accept it very matter-of-factly. ■ Take snapshots of the children, alone or in groups and mount them on a bulletin board or in a scrapbook with the names of the children printed beneath the pictures. These pictures are an excellent starting point for a discussion about how we all have the same body parts, even though we all look different. In this and other such activities, the teacher can bring out that we are more alike than different. Natural points in such a discussion are color, size, and shape of eyes, hair, nose, mouth, etc. ■ On a more personal level, try the following selfstudy activity to see how you look to the children you work with.
Self-study: How children see you. Select one or two children who are at least four years old. Seat them individually at a table with paper and crayons (or felttip pens) and ask them to draw a picture of you. Encourage them to take their time and include as much as they want. When they are finished give them another sheet of paper and ask them to draw a self-portrait. When both pictures are completed cut them out and paste them side by side. First look at each child’s drawing of you. What features appear to be most important to the children? Did they overlook any important characteristics, such as a beard, long hair, or glasses? Compare the drawing of you with the self-portrait. How are they similar? How are they different? Is there more detail in your picture or in the self-portrait? Is one bigger than the other? Is there a difference in emotional expression? Do these drawings reveal anything about how these children view themselves and you?
If you’re happy. Procedure: Sing the song, “If You’re Happy and You Know It,” using body part movements in the verses. Example: If you’re happy and you know it, shake your head. (Repeat)
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If you’re happy and you know it and you really want to show it, If you’re happy and you know it, shake your head. For other ideas, instead of “shake your head,” substitute the following: 1. clap your hands. 2. march in place. 3. shake your hips. 4. touch your toes. 5. roll your head. 6. wiggle your nose. 7. smile really big. The children really enjoy making up their own verses.
ACTIVITIES FOR OLDER CHILDREN (GRADES 4–5) NAMES—SOCIAL STUDIES THEME: INDIVIDUAL IDENTITY The children share what others may think about them. Help them consider if and why it is important what others think. Brainstorm how they may change what others think. Then the child writes his or her name vertically. Beside each letter, the child writes a word or phrase that describes or tells about herself or himself. For example: M—Michigan is my home state; A— always running around; R—really hard working; Y— yellow is my favorite color. HISTORY MAKERS—SOCIAL STUDIES THEME: CONTINUITY AND CHANGE On the classroom calendar, mark and label the birthdays of Betsy Ross (January 1), and Martin Luther King, Jr. (January 15). Half of the class researches Betsy Ross. The other half researches Dr. King. The Ross group presents a research fact, and the King group presents a finding for a similar or the same category (e.g., birthplace). Continue the activity until no further similarities can be found. FREEDOM—SOCIAL STUDIES THEME: CONTINUITY AND CHANGE Call attention to the anniversary of the Emancipation Proclamation (January 1st). Guide the children in considering and finding meanings of emancipation and proclamation. Help them research the historical actions and decisions associated with the Emancipation Proclamation. Probe for and emphasize reasons the proclamation was needed.
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TELEPHONE BOOK RESEARCH— SOCIAL STUDIES THEME: CULTURE & CULTURAL IDENTITY
2. How long have people been making these (wooden boxes) by hand?
The telephone book can be used as a reference for learning about the local community. Study the Yellow Pages; what names are predominant and what might they tell you about early settlers in the area. You might divide the class into groups to consider sources of people’s last names—occupation, animal names, colors, where they live. Get information on local industries from the Yellow Pages. Watch for unusual advertising wording; identify state, city, county resources. Seek out information on such things as zip codes, history of the area, location of streets.
4. What tools were needed to create the (lace on this apron)?
ACTIVITIES FOR SOCIAL STUDIES THEME: CULTURE AND CULTURAL AWARENESS ■ Dance. Learn a dance such as the waltz or the swing that were popular in the past and are still enjoyed. Demonstrate the dance for the class, and tell them about the history of the dance. ■ Baby Research. Have the students talk to parents and grandparents about what they were like as a baby. Look through baby books if parents made one. Have the students write a brief report about babyhood and how it made them feel to learn about themselves during that time. ■ Time Line. Make a time line for a period of history that you’ve recently studied, marking the important and interesting events. Add pictures and colors to make it even more interesting. ■ Family Scrapbook. Students research their family history and create a family tree. See how far back they can trace their family members and where they came from. Use the family tree to start a family scrapbook. Add funny stories or interesting facts about family members as well as pictures, letters, and drawings. REGIONAL CRAFTS—SOCIAL STUDIES THEME: CULTURE AND CONTINUITY Provide reference materials showing crafts created in your area in the last 100 years. Lead a discussion about how these objects are both functional and beautiful. Have small groups of students each choose one craft that they find especially appealing. Encourage each group to choose a different craft. Ask them to list questions about the craft such as the following. 1. How was this (basket) made?
3. Do people still make these (silver buttons) today?
Then have students do research to find the answers to their questions. Suggest that they interview craftspeople in addition to using nonfiction books, encyclopedias, and multimedia sources. Have students report their findings about the craft to the class.
TIE-DYED SQUARES—SOCIAL STUDIES THEME: CULTURE & CONTINUITY Tell students that they will create a type of fiber art called tie-dyeing. Explain that this art form originated in China between A.D. 617 and 906. Tie-dyed fabrics created at that time were worn mainly by the nobility and priests. You will need: art smocks, 10-inch squares of muslin (at least one per student), acrylic or tempera paint, containers for water-paint mixture, string, safety scissors, rubber gloves. Prepare several tubs of dye by mixing tempera paints or acrylic paints with water. Next, provide fabric squares and string. Then have students put on rubber gloves and: ■ Place the cloth on a flat surface. ■ Use their fingertips to gather a clump of material. ■ Tie the clump by tightly wrapping string around it. ■ Repeat until several clumps have been created. ■ Submerge cloth in dye for about 20 minutes. ■ Remove cloth and untie or cut away string. ■ Dry cloth on a flat surface.
OBELISKS—EGYPT & WASHINGTON, DC: SOCIAL STUDIES THEME: CULTURE & CONTINUITY Display a picture of the Washington Monument. Explain that the structure was designed by an architect named Robert Mills and that he based his design on a type of ancient Egyptian structure called an obelisk. Have students work with partners or in small groups to create a chart comparing the Washington Monument with an example of an Egyptian obelisk. (Students may want to research one of the obelisks called Cleopatra’s Needle, for example.) A sample chart is shown below. Students may want to use the categories listed or ones they create.
CHAPTER 22 Creative Social Studies
Washington Monument
Egyptian Obelisk
Height Weight Date completed Designer
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National Association for the Education of Young Children. (1991). Guidelines for appropriate curriculum content and assessment programs serving children ages 3–8. Young Children, 46(3), 21–38. National Council for the Social Studies (NCSS). (1994). Expectations of excellence: Curriculum standards for social studies. Washington, DC: Academy Press.
Today’s location Other information
ADDITIONAL READINGS
CHAPTER REVIEW
Bernson, H. H. (1998). Beyond Momotaro. Social Studies and the Young Learner, 10(3), 24–26. Cordeiro, P. (Ed.). (1995). Endless possibilities: Generating curriculum in social studies and literacy. Portsmouth, NH: University Press. Curry, N., & Johnson, C. (1995). Beyond self-esteem: Developing a genuine sense of human value (Rev. ed.). Washington, DC: NAEYC. Edlin, G., Golanty, E., & Brown, M. K. (1998). Essentials for health & wellness. Sudburg, MA: Jones & Bartlett Publishers. Essa, E. L. (1995, Spring). Death of a friend. Childhood Education, 71(3), 130–133. Forte, I., Frank, M., & Streams, J. (2000). Map skills. Nashville, TN: Incentive Publications. Goldberg, M. (1997). Art and learning: An integrated approach to teaching and learning in multicultural & multilingual settings. New York: Longman. Kids Express Videos. (Ages 3–8). Americana, Finishing school for young ladies and gentlemen, Happy campers, Little rodeo wranglers, Science ooze and awes. Springfield, MO: Kids Express. Krey, D. M. (1998). Children’s literature in social studies. NCSS Bulletin #95. Washington, DC: Academy Press. McDermott, P. A. (1995, Spring). Sex, race, class and other demographics as explanations for children’s ability and adjustment: A national appraisal. Journal of School Psychology, 33(1), 75–91. Moody Video Collections. (Ages 3–10). Treasure hunt, Flying on wings of beauty, the Clown-faced carpenter, The long journey, The wonder of you. Chicago: Author. Moore, L. M. (1998). Learning language and some initial literacy skills through social interactions. Young Children, 53(2), 72–75. Ravicz, S. (1998). High on stress: A woman’s guide to optimizing the stress in her life. Oakland, CA: New Harbinger Publications. Ramsey, P. (1995, Sept.). Growing up with the contradictions of race and class. Young Children, 18–22. Suspanich, Y. D. (1999). More than a report—Social Studies: Nine social studies writing projects. New York: Evan Moor Educational Publishers. Taylor, M. M. (1995, Summer). Establishing and maintaining a multicultural focus. Childhood Education, 224–225. Winter, S. M. (1994/1995, Winter). Diversity: A program for all children. Childhood Education, 91–95.
1. Discuss art activities appropriate for the following units: community helpers, self-awareness, learning one’s name. 2. What areas of the curriculum (e.g., art, music, language arts) would you use to help children learn their own and others’ names in various ways? Give some examples of activities you would use in each of these areas. 3. Relate incidents similar to the opening scenes in this chapter, demonstrating young children’s level of social awareness. Explain why you think the children acted the way they did. Explain how an adult (or older child) would react in the same situation. 4. What community/school “helpers” would you invite to your room to aid children’s understanding of their community? What would you have these visitors talk about; bring with them to class; and do with the children (if anything)? 5. What are some ways the block area can be used to teach social studies ideas? 6. What are the two basic rules for beginning to teach young children about peace? 7. List the ten themes of the National Council for the Social Studies standards for grades K-12.
REFERENCES Aardema, V. (1991). Borrequita and the coyote. New York: Alfred A. Knopf. Alexander, L. (1993). The fortune-teller. New York: Dutton. Begay, S. (1993). Ma’ii and Cousin Horned Toad. New York: Scholastic. Bernat, V. (1993, March.). Teaching peace. Young Children, 36–39. Blair, S. (1964). The three billy goats gruff. Boston: Houghton-Mifflin. Burkhardt, D. H. (1993, April). Building blocks, building skills. Scholastic Pre-K Today, 42–29. Holder, H. (1993). Carmine the crow. New York: Farrar, Straus & Giroux.
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BOOKS FOR CHILDREN PRESCHOOL Banner, A. (1998). Happy birthday with Ant and Bee. Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann. Battle-Lavert, G. (1995). Off to school. New York: Holiday House. Benjamin, C. (1994). I am a doctor. New York: Barron’s. Benjamin, C. (1994). Somos Medicos. (We are doctors). New York: Barron’s. Bourgeois, P. (1999). Franklin has a sleepover. Topeka, KS: Econo-Clad Books. Bourgeois, P. (1999). Franklin’s class trip. San Francisco: General Distribution Services. Bourgeois, P. (1999). Franklin’s secret club. Topeka, KS: Econo-Clad Books. Burton, V. L. (1939). Mike Mulligan and his steam shovel. Boston: Houghton-Mifflin. Burton, V. L. (1943). Kathy and the big snow. Boston: Houghton-Mifflin. Cartlidge, M. (1992). Teddy’s friends. New York: Candlewick. Civardi, A. (1993). Going on a plane. Asheville, NC: Usborne. Civardi, A. (1993). Going to school. Asheville, NC: Usborne. Cole, J. (1997). I’m a big brother. New York: Morrow. Cole, J. (1997). I’m a big sister. New York: Morrow. Douglas, B. (1997). When I grow up I want to be… New York: Candlewick. Falwell, C. (1991). Nicky and Grandpa. New York: Clarion. Geraghty, P. (1994). The hunter. New York: Crown. Guettier, B. (1999). The father who had 10 children. New York: Dial. Hill, E. (1994). Spot goes to school. New York: Putnam. Hill, E. (1997). Spot goes to a party. New York: Putnam. Hill, E. (1999). Spot’s birthday party. New York: Putnam. Lacome, J. (1994). I’m a jolly farmer. New York: Candlewick. Low, A. (1999). Mommy’s briefcase. New York: Scholastic. McGrath, B. (1998). Oops! Excuse me please!: And other mannerly tales. New York: Barron’s. Meade, H. (1998). John Willy and Freddy McGee. Tarrytown, NY: Cavendish. Pomerantz, C. (1987). How many trucks can a tow truck tow? New York: Random House. Raschka, C. (1999). Like likes like. New York: DK Publishing. Rathman, P. (1994). Good night, gorilla. New York: Putnam. Retan, W. (1990). The big book of real trucks. New York: Grossett and Dunlap. Riddell, E. (1995). My first day at preschool. New York: Barron’s. Shannon, M. (1998). Gullible’s troubles. Boston: Houghton Mifflin. Slater, T. (1987). The big book of real fire trucks and firefighting. New York: Grosset and Dunlap. Stoeke, J. M. (1999). Minerva Louise at school. New York: Puffin Books.
Wells, R. (1997). McDuff and the baby. New York: Hyperion. Yee, P. (1993). Little buddy goes shopping. New York: Viking. Yee, P. (1993). Little buddy meets Bobo. New York: Viking. Yee, P. (1995). Let’s make friends. New York: Viking. Ziefert, H. (1998). I swapped my dog. Boston: Lorraine/ Houghton. Zimmerman, A., & Clemesha, D. (1999). Trashy town. New York: HarperCollins.
KINDERGARTEN–GRADE 3 Aardema, V. (1991). Borrequita and the coyote. New York: Knopf. Alexander, L. (1993). The fortune-teller. New York: Dutton. Aliki (1997). A visit to the zoo. New York: HarperCollins. Austin, M. (1999). A friend for Growl Bear. New York: HarperCollins. Baker, B. (1999). Third grade is terrible. New York: Puffin Books. Battle-Lavert, G. (1995). Off to school. New York: Holiday House. Begay, S. (1993). Ma’ii and cousin Horned Toad. New York: Scholastic. Blair, S. (1964). The three billy goats gruff. New York: Holt, Rinehart & Winston. Carlson, K. (1998). Boss of the plains: The hat that won the West. New York: DK Ink. Carter, D. (1999). Wilhe’mina miles after the stork night. New York: Foster/Farrar. Cepeda, J. (1999). We were tired of living in a house. New York: Putnam. Child, L. (1999). I want a pig. Berkeley, CA: Tricycle Books. Crews, D. (1998). Night at the fair. New York: Greenwillow Books. Crimi, C. (1999). Don’t need friends. New York: Doubleday. Daly, N. (1999). Jamela’s dress. New York: Farrar, Straus, & Giroux. Davis, K. (1999). I hate to go to bed! San Diego: Harcourt Brace Children’s Books. Diakite, B. W. (1998). The hunterman and the crocodile. New York: Scholastic. Duffey, B. (1999). How to be cool in the third grade. New York: Puffin Books. Dunbar, J. (1999). Tell me something happy before I go to sleep. San Diego: Harcourt Brace Children’s Books. English, K. (1999). Nadia’s hands. Honesdale, PA: Boyds Mills Press. Fletcher, R. (1999). Relatively speaking: Poems about family. New York: Orchard. Frazee, M. (1999). Hush, little baby. A folk song with pictures. San Diego: Harcourt Brace Children’s Books. Graham, B. (1997). Queenie, one of the family. New York: Candlewick. Heo, Y. (1999). One Sunday morning. New York: Orchard.
CHAPTER 22 Creative Social Studies
Hobbie, H. (1999). Toot & Puddle: A present for Toot. Boston: Little Brown. Holder, H. (1993). Carmine the crow. New York: Farrar, Straus & Giroux. Horvath, P. (1999). The trolls. New York: Farrar, Straus & Giroux. Hunter, R. A. (1998). Into the sky. New York: Holiday House. Jackson, E. (1998). Turn of the century. Watertown, MA: Charlesbridge. Jonell, L. (1999). It’s my birthday, too! New York: Putnam. Kalman, M. (1999). Next stop Grand Central. New York: Putnam. Keller, L. (1999). The scrambled states of America. New York: Holt. Kline, S. (1999). Horrible Harry and the purple people. New York: Puffin Books. Levitin, S. (1998). Boom town. New York: Orchard. Lindgren, A. (1999). Pippi goes to school. New York: Puffin Books. London, S. (1997). Firehouse Max. New York: diCapua/ HarperCollins. Lum, K. (1999). What! Cried granny: An almost bedtime story. New York: Dial. Martin, R. (Reteller). (1993). The boy who lived with the seals. New York: Putnam. Pinkney, J. (Adapter). (1999). The ugly duckling. New York: Morrow. Priceman, M. (1999). Emeline at the circus. New York: Knopf. Rascha, C. (1999). Arlene Sardine. New York: Orchard Books. Rosenberry, V. (1999). Vera’s first day of school. New York: Holt. Schroeder, A. (Reteller). (1999). The tale of Willie Monroe. New York: Clarion. Steig, W. (1998). Pete’s a pizza. New York: HarperCollins. Stevens, J., & Crummer, S. S. (1999). Cook-a-doodle-doo! New York: Harcourt. Toles, T. (1999). My school is worse than yours. New York: Puffin Books. VanLeeuwen, J. (1998). Amanda Pig and her best friend Lollipop. New York: Dial. Walker, S. M. (1998). The 18 penny goose. New York: HarperCollins. Wells, R. (1999). Mary on horseback: Three mountain stories. New York: Dial. Williams, S. A. (1999). Girls together. New York: Harcourt.
GRADES 4–5 Beller, S. P. (1998). Never were men so brave: The Irish Brigade during the Civil War. New York: Simon & Schuster. Brenner, B. (1999). Chibi: A true story from Japan. Boston: Houghton-Mifflin. Bruchac, J. (1996). The girl who married the moon: Tales from Native North America. Mahwah, NJ: Troll Communications. Dorson, M. (Ed.). (1997). Tales from the Rain Forest: Myths and legends from the Amazonian Indians of Brazil. New York: Harper Trade.
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Hamilton, V. (1993). The people could fly: American Black folktales. New York: Knopf. Harrison, T., & Fernandes, E. (1998). Aaron’s awful allergies. Buffalo, NY: Kids Can Press. Information Please LLC. (Ed.). (1998). The Time almanac 1999: Information please almanac. New York: Time Magazine. Krull, K. (2000). Wilma unlimited: How Wilma Rudolph became the world’s fastest woman. New York: Harcourt. Lasky, K. (2000). Vision of beauty: The story of Madam C. J. Walker. New York: Candlewick. Ochoa, G. (1998). The New York Public Library amazing Hispanic American history: A book of answers for kids. New York: John Wiley & Sons. Olaleye, I. (2000). In the rainfield. New York: Scholastic. Paul, A. W. (1999). All by herself: 14 girls who made a difference: Poems. New York: Harcourt. Reasoner, H. (1998). Brave bear and the ghosts: A Sioux legend. Mahwah, NJ: Troll Communications. Reasoner, H. (1998). Coyote and the grasshoppers: A Pomo legend. Mahwah, NJ: Troll Communications. Reasoner, H. (1998). First woman and strawberry: A Cherokee legend. Mahwah, NJ: Troll Communications. Schecter, D. (Ed.). (1996). In my family (En mi familia). Chicago: Children’s Press.
SOFTWARE FOR CHILDREN Air academy: The quest for AirTopia. (Ages 6–12). (1999). Montreal, Quebec: Icaxan. A surprise for Horace. (Grades Preschool–K). (1998). New York: Simon & Schuster Interactive. Community construction kit. (Grades 2–6). (1998). Watertown, MA: Tom Snyder Productions. Earth 2U: Exploring geography. (Ages 6–12). (1997). New York: Simon & Schuster Interactive. EARTHA Global Explorer. (Ages 10–adult). (1998). Yarmouth, ME: DeLorme Mapping. Elmo computer phone. (Grades Preschool–K). (1998). Cambridge, MA: The Learning Company. Jumpstart Pre-kindergarten. (Grades Preschool–K). (1998). Torrance, CA: Havas/Knowledge Adventure. Mapmaker’s toolkit. (Ages 9–15). (1999). Watertown, MA: Tom Snyder Productions. My amazing human body. (Ages 6–10). (1997). New York: DK Multimedia. My first amazing world explorer. (Ages 5–8). (1996). New York: DK Multimedia. National Geographic maps. (Ages 12–up). (1998). Novato, CA: Mindscape (The Learning Company). The Map Room. (Ages 9–18). (1996). Arlington, VA: Edunetics Corporation (Steck-Vaughn).
For additional creative activity resources, visit our Web site at www.EarlyChildEd.delmar.com
CREATIVE HEALTH AND SAFETY EXPERIENCES OBJECTIVES After studying this chapter, you should be able to: 1. Discuss the basic health practices in the early childhood program. 2. Discuss the appropriate way to work with young children in health and safety matters. 3. Discuss traffic safety, fire safety, and poison safety in the early childhood curriculum.
H
ealth is a physical state in the here and now. Safety is also a present state. Young children don’t think in terms of the distant future. It’s the now that interests them, not a talk on how a badhealth or safety habit can hurt a person in the future. Preaching, lecturing, and rote learning of health facts are all ineffective techniques in the early childhood classroom. What should be stressed is a positive, fun, but most of all natural approach to health and safety in the classroom.
HEALTH AND SAFETY IN THE EARLY YEARS Good health and safety practices need to be modeled by adults as much as they are included in actual lesson plans. Emphasis in this chapter will be on presenting basic concepts of health and safety in simple classroom activities that do not require special equipment or cur-
414
riculum guides. Common sense and daily experiences form the basis of these activities. In the area of health and safety, your actions surely speak louder than words. For example, your own shining hair, clean body, neat clothing, and fresh smell “tell” children so much more about personal hygiene and good health practices than any lesson plan. Along with this emphasis on modeling behaviors, this chapter contains some basic health and safety ideas and how to use them in classroom activities.
HEALTH PRACTICES Good health is often not appreciated until the later years in life, when one doesn’t always have it. It is important in the early years of life, when we least appreciate health, to learn practices that will extend our health long past the early years.
CHAPTER 23 Creative Health and Safety Experiences
Good health practices include simple ones such as brushing one’s teeth and hair, bathing regularly, and a general interest in cleanliness. Getting enough sleep and good food are also basic to good health at all ages. All these ideas and tasks are usually first taught at home and are then reinforced in the classroom. This can be done in many ways, but informal talks, rather than pointed lessons, work best with young children just learning to really care for themselves physically. Unlike for you and other adults, daily personal hygiene tasks are not yet routine for children. For instance, when a six-year-old gets up and ready for school, he often may forget to brush his teeth or comb his hair. He doesn’t automatically do these tasks but has
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to “remember” them every morning. Often, a young child may forget to brush his teeth. His peers may forget as well. Thus, he suffers no great social embarrassment. In this situation an adult’s gentle (confidential) reminder can help prod the memory of a forgetful child. Yet in no way should learning personal hygiene be a cause for shame or negative comments. The health curriculum for older children in middle and upper grade levels focuses on health issues that encompass more than personal health issues. Figure 23–1 outlines some of the basic health topics generally covered in grades 3–5. You will probably have more topics you will want to add to this list.
TOPICS
GRADE 3
GRADE 4
GRADE 5
Mental Health
Thinking clearly; getting along with others; stress; healthful self-concept; criteria for responsible decisions
Being special; strengths and weaknesses, attitudes; good mental health; stress
Healthy behavior; communicationdefinition; expressing feelings; emotions-definition; stress management; effects of television on health; definition of health and wellness; using refusal skills
Family and Social Health
Getting along with family and friends; family, friends, and your health
A friend-definition; choosing friends, family and friends, peer pressure
Focus on the health of others; sharing, feelings and feedback, decision-making; adoption; responsible parenting
Drugs
Uses of medicine: kinds of medicine; safe use of medicine; caffeine; alcohol; tobacco; marijuana
Making decisions about drinking and smoking; a history of alcohol and tobacco; peer pressure, advertising methods; laws; marijuana; depressants, stimulants, psychedelics, and inhalants; cocaine and crack
Drugs; uses and effects; prescription and over-the-counter drugs; chemicals in cigarette smoke; effects of smoking and alcohol; illegal drugs and their effects; chemical dependence; problem of crack, marijuana
Personal Health
Being in good health; proper dental care; being well-groomed; proper medical care; caring for nails; good posture
School health services; community health services; dental health products and services; care of teeth
Using seat belts for safety; using power mowers safely; health professionals; health careers; consumer protection
Safety and First Aid
Safety at home; safety at play; first aid for minor injuries; bicycle safety
Joint damage and fractures; muscle injuries; fire safety; safety from animals and strangers; recreational safety; first aid for insect stings and reactions from poisonous plants; bicycle safety
Bicycle safety; poisoning and preventive action; first aid for poisoning; safety around harmful vapors
FIGURE 23–1
Health curriculum topics, grades 3–5.
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POSITIVE APPROACH TO HEALTH AND HYGIENE In any health or personal hygiene matter, emphasis must be on the positive view of self. In all health and hygiene tasks that young children learn in the early childhood program, the teacher needs first of all to model good health and hygiene practices himself. There also must be planned space and time to practice the tasks. A large mirror at children’s eye level, a sink easily reached and operated by young children, and soap in a form that children can handle easily—these are but a few examples of arrangements and equipment that help children “practice” good personal hygiene. To be sure that children always have soap available for handwashing, place a bar of soap in a old knee-high nylon stocking. Tie the stocking to the faucet of the sink. This prevents the soap both from landing on the floor and leaving a soapy mess in the soap dish. The routines of dressing, washing, eating, and resting will take up a great deal of time when working with young children. In fact, you will sometimes think of yourself as a caregiver and not a teacher. You will need to develop the understanding that these everyday activities, while essential for good health, are equally essential for teaching about health. All of these daily routines serve as the basis for teaching children concepts of body functions and parts, as well as the habits of caring for themselves. Each program will have routines for body care. If you’re working with children under age five, it’s probably mandated that child-sized toilets, sinks, and mirrors be available. If these are not, arrange for the use of platforms or small sturdy benches or stools so children will be able to reach sinks, get their own toothbrush, and turn on faucets for themselves. Washing hands before and after using the toilet and before eating, as well as washing hands and brushing teeth after eating, are routines that should be established and followed at all age levels. Another part of daily hygiene involves the quality of the classroom environment. Not only is personal hygiene important, but the learning environment itself needs to be clean and attractive. Children need to be actively involved in keeping their classroom orderly. A clean and orderly room also mirrors the importance of good hygiene practices. Figure 23–2 contains a checklist of equipment for keeping a space clean and in order. When using this checklist, remember that even the smallest child can pick up and put away a toy after playing with it. The child’s involvement in room maintenance helps his growing sense of responsibility, while it also helps
In your classroom check to see if you have: (
) storage shelves and cupboards: low, open shelf space accessible to children and cupboard space for storing supplies. Most shelf space should be movable to permit rearranging the room.
(
) a peg rack or cubbies for children’s coats.
(
) screen dividers or other means to create specific play areas and to provide picture display space.
(
) enough wastebaskets, preferably of plastic or other washable material.
(
) dust brush, dustpan, whisk broom, sponges, small mop, and plastic pail.
(
) paper or cloth towels.
(
) small bars of soap for hand-washing, toothbrush containers.
(
) a bulletin board for emergency numbers, firstaid procedures.
(
) file cards and box of parents’ home and work telephone numbers, child’s doctor, and other authorized adults responsible for child.
(
) a fix-it box: a carton in which to put things that need attention. (Be sure that they are fixed!)
(
) adequate space for storing items that are not being used as well as expendable items, such as paper and paints.
(
) at least one drawer/cabinet with a childproof latch for storing potentially dangerous material.
FIGURE 23–2
Checklist of equipment for keeping space clean and in order.
keep the play area uncluttered and pleasant looking. It is much easier to teach children about health and hygiene when the classroom reflects a concern for cleanliness.
EARLY CHILDHOOD HEALTH CONCERNS PREVENTION While a teacher can often do very little to prevent the illnesses children bring to school, he is in a position to do a great deal about preventing injuries at school. Figure 23–3 presents some basic ideas about accident prevention for children from two to eleven years of age.
CHAPTER 23 Creative Health and Safety Experiences
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AGE
CHARACTERISTICS
ACCIDENT HAZARDS
MEASURES FOR PREVENTION
2–3 years
Fascinated by fire; moves about constantly; tries to do things alone; imitates
Traffic
Keep child away from streets and driveways with strong fence and firm discipline. Teach rules and dangers of traffic.
Runs and is lightning fast; impatient with restraint
Transportation
Demonstrate safety; use seat belts, etc. Maintain vehicles including safety equipment and mechanical condition of brakes, suspension, tires, etc.
Explores the neighborhood, climbs, rides tricycles; likes and plays rough games
Tools/equipment
Store dangerous knives, sharp scissors, and garden equipment out of reach. Teach safe use of tools and kitchen equipment; careful supervision when using. Guards on fans.
Water
Even shallow wading pools are unsafe unless carefully supervised.
Play areas
Guard against children involving themselves in play beyond physical capabilities (climbing up something, unable to come down)
Toys
Large sturdy toys without sharp edges or small removable parts are safest. Close supervision when equipment with small parts in use. Identify safety rules for pedestrians, passengers, and cyclists.
Burns
Guards for radiators, hot pipes, and other hot surfaces. Temperature of water not to exceed 120°F. Minimize and properly store all combustible material.
Poisoning
Store all medicines and poisons in locked cabinet. Store cleaning products out of reach. Store kerosene or gasoline in metal cans and out of reach. Screen windows to protect against insect bites, food contamination. Use proper sanitation procedures in all food preparation. Never use lead-based paint.
Cycling, pedestrian, sports accidents
Encourage use of proper safety equipment such as bike helmets, knee pads for skating; rules of the road
Losing flexibility
Provide physical exercise and activities on a regular basis.
Negative feelings can lead to physical fights
Teach ways to resolve conflicts in non-violent ways.
Spending time at home alone
Provide information on ways to ensure safety when home alone.
Minor injuries as normal part of more outside and group activities
Describe first aid procedures for treating minor injuries. Describe ways to respond to serious injuries.
3–6 years
7–11 years
Growing independence; Peer group grows in importance, can understand other’s opinions, has a larger view of the world outside the classroom.
List specific policies of your center or school for prevention of accidents. It is recommended that the staff review their “minuteby-minute” accident prevention policies periodically in order to evaluate what changes are needed and to include changes in listed guidelines for substitutes and volunteers. The accident log should be consulted in such an evaluation. The same applies to the classroom teacher: Consistent accident prevention policies should be followed as well as reviewed on a regular basis. Based on information provided by the American Academy of Pediatrics. (1999). Standards for Day Care Centers.
FIGURE 23–3
Accident prevention.
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FIGURE 23–4
In any health matter, emphasis must be on the positive view of self.
When it becomes necessary to deal with injury or illness, it is important to remember that a teacher is neither the child’s doctor nor parent. Other than providing simple first aid and large doses of comfort, the teacher’s primary responsibility is to notify the parent according to instructions on the child’s emergency card. The teacher can also make the child comfortable until someone who is responsible arrives to take over. Fortunately, real medical crises are rare, considering the number of hours and the number of children involved in routine school days. The crisis is far more likely to rest in the psychological effect on the staff, the child, and the parent. Another area of prevention concerns poisonous plants. Knowing which plants are poisonous, a teacher can avoid an accident involving a child eating a poisonous plant. Figure 23–5 lists several common plants and which parts, if any, are toxic. It also lists treatment for a child who may have eaten part of a poisonous plant.
SAFETY EDUCATION Accidents are the leading cause of death for children under age 14. Thus, the importance of providing children with an environment prepared for their
experimentation and exploration cannot be understated. Accidents most frequently occur to children who have had little opportunity to explore, to find out for themselves, or to experience minor scrapes and bumps—children who feel no responsibility for their own safety. When children do not have a safe environment in which to practice or the opportunity to face challenges, they’re more likely to be involved in some type of accident. They have no idea of the consequences and no experience in making decisions or judging hazards. A safe environment is not only free from hazards, but contains the presence of a diligent, observing, and supervising adult. Even though you have safety checked the play yard and playroom prior to the time the children arrive, you should be continually alert for potential hazards. As children play you must reinforce safety rules that have been decided by you and the children. You might even post them as a reminder. But you will have to keep on reminding young children, in a positive yet firm way, as they play: “Ride your bike here.” “Climb the tree with your hands free.” “Remove the truck from under the swings.” Being prepared means looking over both your indoor and outdoor play areas for all potentially dangerous areas. For example, if swing seats are too slippery, cover them with a coat of paint to which you have added some fine sand. The sand will give just enough traction, yet it won’t scratch the children. Or, cover swing seats with pieces of foam rubber to prevent slipping. For any other potential emergencies, you, other adults who work with you, and the children all need to practice a prepared emergency plan. Being prepared is a must. The plan should be written and posted. Decide who will stay with the children, what the children will do, and what the other adults will do. Teach children how to use the phone. Have them practice dialing the emergency number, and teach those age two or under how to obtain the operator should the need arise. Even very young children can find the “0” for operator, especially if a red dot is painted over the number. Think ahead. Who will transport an injured or ill child to the doctor or hospital? Have parents record the numbers of their preferred doctor and hospital, but inform them that in an emergency you may call the health facility nearest to the school. Written permission from the parent needs to be on file, giving the teacher permission to take the child for any emergency medical care. Decide about the precautions required for special needs children. Who will stay with the child with a visual or hearing impairment, or how will you handle the child in a wheelchair if you need to evacuate the building?
CHAPTER 23 Creative Health and Safety Experiences
COMMON NAME
BOTANICAL NAME
African Violet Azalea Begonia Buttercup Castor Bean Christmas Kalanchoe (or Flaming Katy) Christmas Pepper Daffodil Dandelion Dogwood Dumbcane English Ivy Hemlock Holly Hyacinth Hydrangea Impatiens Jack-in-the-Pulpit Jerusalem Cherry
Saintpaulia ionantha Rhododendron Begonia spp.* Ranunculus spp. Rincinus communis Kalanchoe bloss Feldiana “compacta” Capsicum annum Narcissus spp. Taraxacum officinale Cornus florida Dieffenbachia spp. Hedera helix Conium maculatum Ilex Hyacinthus orientalis Hydrangea arborescens Impatiens spp. Arisaema triphyllum Solanum pseudocapsicum
Jimson Weed Lily-of-the-Valley Mayapple Mistletoe Mockorange Mountain Laurel Nightshades Philodendron Pokeweed
Datura stramonium Convallaria majalis Podophyllum peltatum Phoradendron spp. Philadelphus spp. Kalmia latifolia Solanum dulcamara, S. nigrum Philodendron spp. Phytolacca americana
Poinsettia Pothos Privet Pyracantha Rhododendron Rose Wandering Jew Water Hemlock Wild Strawberry Yew
Euphorbia pulcherrima Scindapsus aureus Ligustrum vulgare Pyracantha coccinea lalandi Rhododendron maximum Rosa spp. Tradescantia fluminensis Cicuta masculata Fragaria vesea Taxus spp.
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TOXIC PART
TREATMENT CODE
Probably none** All parts Probably none** All parts Chew seeds, leaves Probably none**
A, B A A, B A, C A A
Fruit—causes burns All parts, especially bulb Probably none** Probably none** Leaves Leaves, berries All parts, especially seed All parts, especially berries Bulb Leaves and buds Probably none** Roots (in quantity) Leaves, unripe berry, possibly unripe fruit All parts All parts All parts, except ripe fruit All parts, especially berries Probably none** All parts All parts
C A A, B A, B A, C A A A A A A A, C A
All parts Berries, leaves if cooked improperly Sap in plant All parts Berries, leaves Probably none** All parts Probably none** Probably none** All parts, especially roots Probably none** All parts
A, C A
A A A A A, B A A
A A, C A A, B A A, B A, B A A, B A
*spp. includes all species of the plant **No known toxic reaction; individual children may have allergic reactions. Treatment Codes: A. Call the local poison information center to report ingestion and verify plant. Post this number near the phone. B. No treatment necessary. C. Give milk immediately and then call the local poison center. Based on information provided by the American Academy of Pediatrics in “Standards for Day Care Centers,” 1999. FIGURE 23–5
Poisonous plants and treatment for their ingestion.
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Young Children and Allergies
Have you ever seen or experienced any of these situations? ■ Drew complains that his eyes are itchy and his nose is stuffy. ■ Claire keeps wiping her runny nose, and she had some trouble breathing when outside. ■ Both children seem uncomfortable and irritable. You might at first suspect that these children are showing the early signs of a cold. But because these events occurred in April, these children are actually exhibiting signs of allergies, since April is the beginning of the allergy season. The following information is intended to help you recognize the signs of allergies and how to deal with them and the young children suffering from them. The Causes of Allergies. A person has an allergy when she reacts abnormally to a substance that does not bother most other people. These substances, known as allergens, may be swallowed, inhaled, or touched. The most common allergens include dust; pollen; mold; venom from bees and other stinging insects; foods such as fish and shellfish, eggs, nuts, cow’s milk, chocolate, wheat, corn, and certain fruits; and perfumed soaps and creams. Treatment of Allergies. The most effective way to treat allergies in children is prevention. Be aware of which allergens cause a reaction and then try to avoid exposing children to them. Some allergies can be treated with medications, either taken regularly (every day or during certain seasons) or when the child experiences allergic symptoms. Allergy shots may be used with those children who have severe allergies and/or asthma. The Symptoms of Allergies. Different allergens can cause different reactions, and symptoms may differ from child to child. Also, it’s possible for a child to be allergic to more than one substance. The most common symptoms are itchy eyes, a stuffy or runny nose, and wheezing. Allergic reactions to insect bites can show up as redness, swelling, and itchiness around the bite. In severe cases, insect bites may cause low blood pressure resulting in shock. Reactions to food include itchiness, wheezing, headaches, hives, and occasionally—but rarely—shock. Perfumes may make skin itchy and red. What to Do During an Allergic Attack. If you can identify the allergen, remove the child from the allergic environment or remove the substance containing the allergen from the child’s environment. If you can’t identify the allergen and the child’s symptoms continue, comfort him or her while another staff member calls the child’s parent. In the case of a severe reaction, call 911 or your local emergency number and the child’s parent. Helping Young Children with Allergies. You can help children with allergies feel more comfortable, so they can enjoy your program fully, by taking the following steps: Maintain up-to-date medical histories. Be sure all staff members, especially those involved in preparing food, know which children and adults are allergic and to what. Also, if a child needs medication, make sure you have written permission from the child’s parent to administer it and written directions that clearly explain the exact dosage and how often the medicine should be given. Be sure you have a bee-sting kit on hand and know how to use it. Available at pharmacies, this kit contains epinephrine, which is used to help block the allergic reaction. You’ll need to check with a child’s parent for permission to use it. Keep the environment as clean and dust-free as possible. Make sure there is adequate ventilation. If you use a humidifier, clean the system frequently to avoid a buildup of mold. Remember that rugs, stuffed animals, and feather pillows collect dust and can also be the cause of allergic reactions. Choose classroom pets wisely. Because one out of every six children is likely to have some kind of allergy, be sure you check each child’s medical record in order to select a pet least likely to cause allergic reactions.
CHAPTER 23 Creative Health and Safety Experiences
FIGURE 23–6
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Children need sufficient rest, including naps during the day, to be healthy.
Keep a first-aid kit ready, freshened periodically, and within easy access in the room and the play yard. The kit should include the following: ■ a box of assorted adhesive bandages ■ a box of 3” sterile gauze squares ■ sterile gauze bandages, both 2” and 1” sizes ■ a roll of 1” wide adhesive tape ■ absorbent cotton ■ antibacterial spray ■ petroleum jelly ■ cloth or absorbent sanitary pads for application of pressure
FIGURE 23–7
Adults help young children develop good health and safety habits.
FIGURE 23–8
Routine health practices are learned and practiced in the early childhood program.
For occasional bumped foreheads and cut lips, keep on hand some form of cold pack in the freezer. An easy-to-hold, dripless cold pack can be made by halffilling a small plastic vitamin bottle with water and putting it in the freezer. Or keep a wet sponge or washcloth in the freezer to use as a cold pack; they’re easier for little hands to hold than an ice cube. At least one permanent staff person should be trained in first aid and cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR). Your local Red Cross or other health agency offers free courses in accident preparedness and first aid. This training needs to be updated annually. All children should have a feeling of being responsible both for their own and the group’s safety. Plan to include content from the guidelines of traffic, fire, and poison safety in your curriculum, since these are the three leading causes of injury and death among children.
TRAFFIC SAFETY You share in the responsibility of helping children learn to cope in traffic. Real experiences are the best way to teach young children about traffic.
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Young Children’s Coping with Anger
Personal safety and well-being are daily concerns in the early childhood program. Just as young children are learning the basics of health and hygiene, they are also learning how to deal with their own emotions. Children’s anger can be an area of constant concern for early childhood teachers. A recent study of preschool children and how they handle their anger sheds some light on this interesting area. You may find this information helpful in your work with young children. The researchers studied preschoolers (average age 4 21 years) during free-play periods. They observed and recorded the causes of preschoolers’ anger and how they reacted to these provocations. They also measured the children’s social competence and popularity in the group. They found that boys and girls differed in how they dealt with anger. For example, boys tended to vent more than girls, whereas girls tended to actively assert themselves more than boys. Moreover, the research findings supported the conclusion that socially competent and popular children coped with anger in ways that were mostly direct and active and that minimized further conflict and damage to social relationships. Conflict over possessions was the most common cause of anger, with physical assault the second most frequently observed cause. Young children’s anger-related responses varied according to the cause of the anger. In most types of anger conflicts, children’s coping responses to anger frequently involved the venting of angry feelings (particularly for boys) or active resistance, whereby children attempted to defend themselves in nonagressive ways (particularly for girls). Children who were popular and socially competent were less likely to be involved in anger conflicts. Also, the causes of children’s anger were related to their measures of social functioning: popular and competent boys were less likely to become outwardly angry due to physical assaults or social rejection. Popular and socially competent children were more likely than children less popular or socially competent to deal with anger in ways that addressed the conflict more directly and nonaggressively. These children were likely to use their social status to deal with anger provocations (e.g., they threatened not to like or play with the instigator). In contrast, children who were relatively low in social competence were likely to utilize aggression or other coping responses that did not directly address the social conflict (e.g., venting, adult seeking, “tattling”) (Fabes & Eisenberg, 1992).
The most common cause of traffic accidents involving young children is darting out in front of cars. Children, intent on their play or crossing the street to join a friend, dart into traffic midblock. Most of these accidents happen on residential streets. The goals of traffic safety, therefore, should address the midblock or “dart-out” accident and include these points. ■ Stop before entering any street. ■ Listen and look for traffic before crossing the street. ■ Walk across residential streets cautiously. ■ Be able to interpret traffic signs and signals correctly.
entering any street. Two-year-olds begin by going outdoors and identifying the different surfaces of the school and play yard and stopping every time the surface changes. Next, children are taken to a quiet, residential street or on a walk around the block and are asked to identify places where the surfaces change, stopping at each place. The curb is another place to stop since the surface changes here. Learning and practicing stopping in this way establishes the habit of stopping before entering a street. Parents should also be involved in practicing this habit.
Listen and look for traffic. Stop before entering any street.
For children under age five, or those who have not yet learned traffic safety, the first lesson should be on stopping before
Once children learn to stop at the curb, they must learn to look and listen for traffic before crossing the street. With adequate adult supervision, take the children on a field trip to
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Internet Resources for Health, Safety, and Accident Prevention This chapter just touches on the very basic issues of health, safety, and accident prevention for children. The following Web sites provide a vast amount of information related to health and safety education. These sites all have information that is suitable for classroom use. Sparky’s World (www.sparky.org) This site provides health and fire safety information and ideas. The appropriate age range is from 6 years and up. Safety City (www.nhtsa.dot.gov/kids) This site provides information on traffic safety, health, accident prevention, to name just a few topics available. Children ages 7–12 will enjoy this site. Otto Club Web Site (www.ottoclub.org) This site, presented by the AAA Traffic Safety Department, provides health and traffic safety information and activities for preschoolers through grade 5. Bright Futures (www.brightfutures.org) Bright Futures is a national initiative dedicated to promoting and improving the health of the United States’ children. The Bright Futures Web site offers information on children’s health and development in a new and practical format. There’s something for everyone interested in the well-being of children. Some materials in Spanish are also available on the site, as well as links to the organizations that support Bright Futures and other useful sites for professionals and families. Interactive Dental Office (www.smiledoc.com) This is an interactive site that allows the user to experience the dental office and procedures. It is more suitable for older children, grades 3–5. Deaf World Web (www.deafworldweb.org/dww/) This Web site is the meeting place for the global deaf community. It offers links to numerous services and organizations around the world. Health Touch (www.healthtouch.com) This Web site provides helpful information about all types of eye, ear, nose, and throat problems encountered by adults and children. American Dental Association (www.ada.org) This Web site provides information for children, parents, and teachers on good dental health. Environmental Protection Agency, Public Information (www.epa.gov) This Web site provides information and services on teaching about the environment. This information is especially designed for classroom use. Environlink Library (www.envirolink.org/orgs/) This Web site provides links to hundreds of worldwide organizations devoted to protecting the environment. All of the following sites have great ideas and information for teachers to use in health and safety activities for children. National Safety Council (www.nsc.org) National Institute of Mental Health (www.worldcorp.com/dc-online/nmha) Parents Resource for Drug Education (www.prideusa.org) Food & Drug Administration (www.fda.gov.fdahomepage.html) Consumer InformationCenter (www.pueblo.gsa.gov.) Consumer Product Safety Commission (www.gopher://cpsc.gov/) The following Web sites are good sources for information on diseases, prevention and control. American Cancer Society (www.cancer.org) American Heart Association (www.amhrt.org) Centers for Disease Control & Prevention (www.cdc.gov) Juvenile Diabetes Foundation (www.jdfcure.com) These sites are good sources for information on emotional and mental health. National Institute of Mental Health (www.gopher.nimh.nih.gov) National Mental Health Association (www/worldcorp.com/dc-online/nmha)
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learn these precautions. Children under age five are confused as to whether traffic is traveling toward or away from them. They’ll need to practice observing traffic and identifying direction as well as the speed at which cars are traveling.
should practice traffic safety themselves at all times. The community should take action to arrange for traffic signs, signals, or crossing guards wherever needed (Seefeldt & Barbour, 1986).
Crossing a residential street. Construct a pretend street with crosswalks and corners, using masking tape or chalk on the play yard surface. Have children use their tricycles or other vehicles to role-play pedestrians and drivers. Using this street, children practice crossing. They are first reminded to stop when the surface of the yard changes and the street begins and to listen and look for oncoming traffic. Additional practice can be structured using a tabletop street with toy cars and people. With trained and adequate adult supervision, take a group of children to a corner and practice crossing the street. Emphasize to the children that they should never run across the street. Running to cross is another major cause of traffic deaths. Children, who are generally less coordinated than adults, trip and fall in front of oncoming traffic. Teach children to walk with deliberate speed as they cross. Ask them to focus on the task of crossing, not playing, thinking about anything else, or running.
FIRE SAFETY
Interpreting traffic signals and signs correctly. Instead of easing the task, traffic signals and signs make crossing streets more difficult for children. Often children cross midblock in order to avoid the signs and signals that they do not understand. Children need to be taught the meaning of the lights and signals found at intersections. First, they need to learn that red is used to symbolize danger and means “stop.” Use red on objects that may be hazardous in the room and play yard. Ask children where red flags should be placed. Play “follow-the-leader” games, with children stopping whenever a leader holds up a red flag. Once children understand the meaning of red, play the same games using green and yellow flags. Practice crossing a pretend playground street, following the signals given by one of the children with others role-playing pedestrians and drivers. Do not attempt to practice crossing streets at an intersection without the aid of a police officer and other well-prepared and trained adults. Police officers can take small groups of children to the intersection to explain the traffic signal lights and to practice crossing with them. Children should be at least five years of age before exposure to this activity. Protecting children in traffic is the role and responsibility of teachers, parents, and the community alike. All adults and older children will serve as models and thus
Project Burn Prevention, funded by the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, is a program designed to provide schools with fire prevention information. It conducts a nationwide campaign on preventing injury from burns to children. The program instructs children on what to do in case of a fire. Some goals for fire safety include: ■ teaching children to approach fire with caution and respect. ■ involving children in practice fire drills. ■ teaching young children to “drop and roll” should they be involved in a fire. ■ teaching young children where the fire extinguisher is and how to use it, as well as how to call the fire department. Invite a firefighter to the classroom to introduce the children to fire safety practices. The firefighter can teach children the habit of dropping and rolling should they, or their clothing, catch on fire. They can also demonstrate precautions to take when using fire or heat. Follow this demonstration with a lesson on
FIGURE 23–9
Childcare workers also must practice good health procedures in their caregiving tasks.
CHAPTER 23 Creative Health and Safety Experiences
FIGURE 23–11 FIGURE 23–10
Children learn safety in everyday activities
respect for fire. Even if it’s only the candles on a birthday cake, teach them to keep a bucket of sand and water nearby whenever handling fire. You don’t have to frighten the children; just teach them the potential dangers of fire. While the firefighter is visiting, show the children where the fire extinguishers are and how they are used. Have them practice dialing the number to reach the fire department, and hold a fire drill. Ask yourself these questions. ■ Do I have a written plan for a fire drill? ■ Do I conduct monthly drills based on the plan? ■ Have I had the plan reviewed by the fire department? ■ Have I held a meeting with the other staff to discuss the plan? ■ Does everyone know where the fire extinguisher is and how to operate it? ■ Have I practiced fire drills during nap and mealtimes? ■ Do I have an assembly location outside of the building? ■ What method do I have for accounting for the children once outside? ■ Have I held fire drills with different exits blocked?
POISON SAFETY Thousands of children each year are victims of accidental poisoning. The development of the poison con-
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Adults provide children the positive acceptance they need to grow socially.
trol centers has helped to eliminate many cases of accidental poisoning. Yet children in an early childhood setting are just as susceptible to poisonings as children in a home setting. In the school, it becomes your responsibility to protect children from possible poisoning accidents. Your responsibility is to teach the children these important safety facts. ■ Take medications only from adult family members, parents, physicians, or health personnel. ■ Understand that some things are to eat, while others are not. Using food for art confuses children on this point. Food is to eat; other substances—berries found on the playground, art materials, toys, leaves, flowers—are not for eating. When you work with children under age five, you must supervise them carefully, preventing them from putting anything into their mouths. You can’t expect babies not to put things into their mouths, as this is their way of learning about their world. However, you are responsible for observing the children, freeing the environment from poisonous substances, and removing nonfood objects that do find their way into the children’s mouths. (See Figure 23–5 for a list of poisonous plants and materials. Also see Chapter 11 for list of unsafe art supplies.) Check your room and outdoor play area for all poisonous substances, and remove all that you find. Note which cleaning supplies and other toxic materials are stored in a place that children might encounter accidentally. If you serve meals, be certain that food items are stored separately from nonfood items. There have been tragic mistakes by hurried cooks or teachers who confused a bag of flour with a cleaning product.
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Sneezing Through History
It happens everywhere, on the street, shopping, at the movies. You sneeze and people around you, perfect strangers, feel a compulsion to say, “God bless you!” or simply “Bless you!” If you have been schooled in polite behavior you will respond, “Thank you.” You can’t escape it. “Gesundheit!” say Germans. “Yarhamak Allah,” say Arabs. “Tihei mauri ora,” say Polynesians of the South Pacific (Renner, 1998). Where did this street theater of social etiquette come from? The beginning of the practice is lost in the mist of prehistory. “It comes from the idea that you are sneezing out your soul,” said Moira Smith, librarian at the Folklore Institute at Indiana University in Bloomington. In primitive belief, the soul has flights, she said. You could be alive one minute and dead the next if you weren’t careful about the soul flying off. “There are a lot of ancient beliefs in general about a separable soul. It could separate for a brief period of time. When you dream, your soul is out of your body so it can’t “get back in if you’re sneezing,” she said. Even yawning posed a danger. Smith pointed out that the idea of invoking divine protection in a sneeze was documented by the Roman naturalist, Pliny the Elder. Pliny wrote in his Natural History in 77 A.D.: “Why is it that we salute a person when he sneezes, an observation which Tiberius Caesar, they say, the most unsociable of men, as we all know, used to exact, when riding in his chariot even?” A more up-to-date variation on the theme of the dangers of sneezing has been the notion that the heart stops when you sneeze—and everybody knows what happens when the heart stops. In case you were wondering, the heart does not stop when you sneeze. “It does not stop whatsoever,” said Dr. Jose Missri, chief of cardiology and chairman of medicine at St. Francis Hospital and Medical Center in Hartford, CT. Professor Robert V. Blystone, who teaches biology at Trinity University in San Antonio sees a common thread running through concern about sneezing. “In a world without antibiotics, a sneeze could mean the start of an illness which could kill,” he said. “There were no magic bullets to take care of the aftereffects of the early warning system called a sneeze” (Renner, 1998).
Keep the number of your nearest poison control center posted by the phone. If you don’t know the number, write to the U.S. Government Printing Office, Washington, D.C., and obtain a complete listing from the Director of Poison Control Centers in the United States (Seefeldt & Barbour, 1986).
SUMMARY Health and safety are physical states of being in the here and now. Young children don’t think in terms of the far-distant future. It’s now that interests them, not a lecture on how a bad health or safety habit can hurt a person in the future. Preaching, lecturing, and rote learning of health and safety information are all ineffective techniques in the early childhood health program. Instead, a positive, fun, but most of all natural
approach to health and safety in the classroom should be emphasized. Good health practices include brushing one’s teeth and hair, bathing regularly, and a general interest in cleanliness. Getting enough sleep and good food are also basic to good health at all ages. All these ideas and tasks are usually first taught at home and then reinforced in the classroom. This can be done in many ways, but informal talks, rather than pointed lessons, work best with young children just learning to really care for themselves physically. In all health or personal hygiene matters, emphasis should be on the positive view of the child. Even more important, the teacher must model good health and hygiene himself. Other areas that need to be included in the early childhood curriculum are traffic safety, fire safety, and poison safety. When teaching concepts in these areas,
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C. Log on to one of the Web sites listed in the “This One’s for You!” box on page 423. Choose one of the activities in the Web site to use with a group of children. Plan a lesson around this activity. Share your plans with your fellow students for their input. D. Design several safety-related activities of your own. Use them with a small group of children. Evaluate your experience. Share the results of your activity in class. E. Assemble a list of local resources you could invite into the class to speak on health and safety issues. Make enough copies of your list to share with each of your classmates. F. Choose one of the children’s books listed at the end of this chapter. Plan a lesson around this book. Be sure to include the following in your plans: age/grade level, name of book, health topic to be taught, and related activities in addition to the book.
FIGURE 23–12
Children need vigorous exercise daily.
young children need real, concrete experiences instead of more abstract lessons. A teacher is in a position to do a great deal about preventing injuries at school. Knowing what to expect from children six years of age and younger helps a teacher prevent accidents. Knowing which plants are poisonous can also be an excellent preventive measure in the early childhood classroom. Accident prevention for grades 3–5 was also mentioned.
LEARNING ACTIVITIES A. Interview children to find out what they know about the traffic system. Ask them what traffic lights mean and where, how, and why they should cross streets. Design a lesson to promote traffic safety based on their responses. B. With the children, demonstrate their growth from birth weight to present weight by stacking hardwood blocks on a bathroom scale to equal the two weights for each child. Children may want to enter the following information in books they make up called ALL ABOUT ME. When I was a baby, I weighed as much as ———— blocks; now I weigh as much as ———— blocks. Each child can feel good about her present state of growth when compared with past growth.
ACTIVITIES FOR CHILDREN HEALTH
Dirty, dirty. Have children wash their hands. Then take small pieces of cotton dipped in rubbing alcohol. Rub the back of each child’s hand with the moistened cotton. Look at the dirt on the cotton and discuss what it means. Even when you think you’ve washed your hands, there still may be dirt present. Our health helpers. When the children arrive at school in the morning, give them name tags that resemble little Red Cross badges. Then have them explore the different areas you have set up in the room. ■ Collection of books about community helpers in the book center ■ Housekeeping area with hospital arrangement (bandages, small pillows, adhesive bandages, empty spray cans, gauze, syringes, and tape) ■ Art area—constructing nurses’ or doctors’ hats from available materials ■ Dentist’s office, complete with magazines, reception desk, telephone, office chair, teeth models, white shirts, cloth to go over patients, tongue depressors This activity enables children to examine tools used by medical helpers and to experience some role playing. Books that have safety ideas and hints are available for children to examine themselves.
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Colds and germs. Equipment: Atomizer from an empty perfume bottle or sprayer from window cleaning fluid. Procedure: Discuss colds with the children. Some questions to ask: “Have you ever had a bad cold? Did you go to the doctor or get medicine to take? Were you allowed to go to school or play with friends when you had a fever? Why not?” Explain that people can give someone else their cold or other sickness just by being around them. The germs they have can be carried in the air or on their hands. Let the children spray water into the air and watch how it disappears. Explain that in coughing we can easily spray germs we cannot see onto others. Say to the children: “Sometimes we have to be by ourselves when we are sick so that others will not get sick, too.” Point out that if they cough or sneeze, they should cover their mouth and nose and use a handkerchief.
Another way to “spread germs.” When talking about how germs are spread and the importance of hand-washing, use flour to illustrate how germs get on everything. Dip your tissue in flour and pretend to sneeze. Watch the flour-germs fly. Then touch things with the tissue, leaving germs on everything.
Practicing non-violence. Give each child in the class a strip of construction paper. On this paper, have each child write one non-violent thing he can do if he has a conflict with another person. Staple the strips of paper together to make a peace chain. Ask the children what will happen if you tear out one of the links in the peace chain.
Puppets. Have the children create paper plate puppets of themselves. (See Chapter 15 for information on making paper plate puppets.) Children use the puppet to share ways that they are special, such as special skills or interests, things that make them happy, and so on. Have the children make another puppet to look like a real or make-believe person. The children use both puppets to act out things they like to do with this friend and ways to care and share. They might want to act out how they work out a conflict with this friend using the puppets.
Is it safe? Equipment: Pictures cut from magazines or drawn freehand that show both safe and unsafe situations—untied shoelaces, child near stove, spilled paint, etc. Procedure: Initiate a discussion with the children, reviewing things they’ve learned about safety. Review safety ideas for the classroom, home, and personal safety. Then introduce the “Is It Safe?” guessing game. Hold up a picture and have them tell if it shows a safe
situation or an unsafe situation. Continue showing pictures, discussing each, emphasizing why each situation is safe or unsafe. HYGIENE ■ To clean stuffed toys, rub or shake them in a bag half filled with cornmeal. Let the toys stand for a while before brushing them off. ■ When game cards get sticky from too much handling, shake them in a bag filled with talcum or baby powder. ■ To remove felt marker ink from skin, try rubbing on toothpaste, then rinsing with water. Repeat the process until the ink disappears. HELPING CHILDREN DRESS THEMSELVES ■ When boots won’t go over a child’s shoes, use a plastic bread bag (or any other plastic bag) over the shoes first; boots slip over the shoes easily. ■ When young children are learning to button up their own coats and sweaters, have them start at the bottom. They’ll be more likely to get all the buttons in the right buttonholes this way. ■ When zippers stick, rub them with a lead pencil to get them gliding smoothly again. Or, rub the zipper with petroleum jelly or spray it with WD40 (an aerosol lubricant), being careful not to get it on the fabric. ■ Use old leg warmers or old socks with the toes cut off for extra warmth for children playing in the snow. When dressing to play in the snow, slip the legwarmers or toeless socks over their arms after pulling on their snowsuits and mittens. The legwarmers (or socks) prevent snow from getting between mittens and sleeves and keeps wrists warm and toasty. HEALTH AND SAFETY COMMUNICATIONS FOR PARENTS Whenever you have important information on health and safety practices (or any other area of the program for that matter), place it on a Parent Bulletin Board by the entrance of your room to ensure greater visibility. ■ Important notices and letters for parents often fall off cubby shelves and are lost. To solve this problem, use a shoebag to make an attractive parent “mailbox.” Label each pocket in the shoebag with a parent’s name and have mothers or fathers check daily for their “mail.”
CHAPTER 23 Creative Health and Safety Experiences
ACTIVITIES FOR OLDER CHILDREN (GRADES 4–5) Health and safety education serves as a place in the curriculum where students focus on personal health issues, health issues of others, and environmental issues. A variety of exciting strategies are available to assist you in teaching health and safety to middle and upper elementary students. The more varied your approach, the more stimulating your classroom will be. The following strategies for health and safety instruction can be used to enhance your curriculum with this age group. CARTOONS Students can draw and label their own health and safety cartoons, or they can collect cartoons that depict healthful and unhealthful practices. Share and describe these cartoons. Example: Mental Health: There is a saying, “Laughter is the best medicine.” Have students find a cartoon that helps them laugh at themselves. CASE HISTORIES A case history is a short description of an event or happening. It can be used to illustrate a point. Students may also be asked to write or react to a case history to evaluate learning. Example: Nutrition: Develop a case history about someone who has poor eating habits—skips breakfast or heavily salts food. Ask students to read the case history and identify the poor eating habits.
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cable diseases are currently most prevalent in their community or in their country. Write short articles describing the cause, symptoms, transmission, and treatment of those diseases. Describe health habits that may reduce the incidence of the disease. DEBATE Students, individually or in organized teams, can research a health issue or topic to formulate a detailed, well-documented viewpoint to use in a debate. Example: Diseases: Select students to form pro and con teams to debate, “Should students who are carriers of the AIDS virus be permitted to attend school with other children?” DAIRY OF EVENTS Students can record daily happenings in a diary to learn more about their health and behaviors. Be careful to tell students that it is not necessary to share what they have learned about themselves. Example: Exercise and Fitness: Have students write down their daily physical activities for one week. Also ask them to describe their feelings after each activity. What did they learn about their behaviors? GRAPHS Students can make circle, line, and bar graphs to illustrate health facts. Example: Nutrition: Make bar graphs to show the amount of sugar in a variety of cereals.
COMMERCIALS Students can write and act out commercials that promote positive health behaviors. Example: Mental Health: Have students write and act out a commercial about ways a person can help cope with depression. These commercials could be videotaped to show to other classes. COMMUNITY RESOURCES Arrange field trips to community resource agencies. Community resources include the local health department, lung association, heart association, life insurance company, mental health center, pharmacy, and crisis centers. Example: Safety and First Aid: Visit a water treatment facility. Discuss how this facility works to keep water safe to drink. CURRENT EVENTS NEWSLETTER Students can research current events on a local, national, or world level and write short articles to include in a “Health Happenings” newsletter. Example: Diseases and Disorders. Have students learn which communi-
GUEST SPEAKERS A guest speaker may be asked to share firsthand information with the students. Always share the objective or purpose of the visit with your students before the visit. Have students come to class with prepared questions. Example: Safety & First Aid: Have a police officer come to class to discuss laws about drugs or drunk driving. INTERVIEWS Students can interview someone in the community. Students should be prepared with a list of questions before the interview takes place. The information can be shared with the class. Example: Mental Health: Have each student interview someone who works in the area of mental health. They might select a psychiatrist, psychologist, psychiatric nurse, social worker, or health educator. JINGLES Students can make up jingles to describe health products or practices, or they can analyze jingles that are
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used on television or radio commercials. Example: Consumer and Personal Health: Have each student share a favorite jingle with the class. Why does the jingle appeal to them? MATH SKILLS Many health education strategies can assist the student in reinforcing math skills. Example: Consumer and Personal Health: Give the students a price list from a grocery story. Tell them they have a certain amount of money with which they can buy groceries for one week. Students should choose nutritious foods and stay within their budgets. MURAL A mural can be made by having students write or paste pictures on long sheets of paper. The mural can illustrate events that have happened over a long period of time. Example: Diseases and Disorders: Have students trace the history of major epidemics of communicable diseases and make a mural that shows (1) disease outbreaks—tuberculosis, plague; (2) disease breakthroughs—penicillin, Bacille Calmette-Guerin (BCG) vaccine; and (3) important people in their health fields. Place these happenings with their dates on the mural. PHOTOGRAPHY When appropriate, encourage students to take photographs and write a description of what they see. This strategy can be used on a field trip to highlight what the students have learned. Example: Safety & First Aid: Students can take pictures of safety hazards in their community. Describe ways to remedy these hazards.
CHAPTER REVIEW 1. In teaching young children about health, what is the best approach and teaching strategy to use? Describe activities you would plan to use in teaching young children about health. 2. What do you feel are some of the most basic health and other types of information you should have on hand for each child in case of emergency? Explain. 3. Discuss several ways you can prevent accidents with children six years old and younger. 4. What are some safety hazards for children ages 7–11? 5. What are some other areas of the curriculum in which to include health and safety ideas? Give specific examples of activities. 6. How would you teach young children about fire, traffic, and poison safety in concrete ways? Give specific examples in your reply.
REFERENCES American Academy of Pediatrics. (1999). Standards for day care centers. Evanston, IL: Author. Fabes, R. A., & Eisenberg, N. (1992). Young children’s coping with interpersonal anger. Child Development, 63, 116–128. Renner, G. (1998, Sept. 25). Sneezing through history. The Hartford Courant, C-8. Seefeldt, C., & Barbour, N. (1986). Early childhood education: An introduction. Columbus, OH: Charles E. Merrill.
ADDITIONAL READINGS
POSTERS Posters are available from many health organizations as well as from local health departments. Posters, such as “Thank You for Not Smoking” from the American Cancer Society (www.cancer.org), can be displayed in the classroom to reinforce learning. Students can make their own posters to use in the classroom or to display in the community. Example: Drugs: Have students make a poster that discourages smoking or drug use. SKITS Through skits, students can explore different issues that they might experience in real life. The teacher can design the roles for specific situations. Example: Consumer and Personal Health: Devise a skit in which a quack sells a health food. Use as many persuasive techniques as possible to sell the product.
American Dental Association (ADA). (1998). It’s dental floss, Charlie Brown. (VHS). Chicago: Author. American Dental Association (ADA). (1999). Toothbrushing with Charlie Brown. (VHS). Chicago: Author. Brzycki, M. (1996). Youth strength and conditioning. Indianapolis, IN: Masters Press. Burridge, K., & Landry, J. M. (1997). 50 simple things you can do to raise a child who is physically fit. Wauconda, IL: IDG Books. Churchill Media. (1998). Clean up your act. (VHS). Los Angeles: Author. Forte, I. (1999). Health and wellness. Nashville, TN: Incentive Publications. Gibbery, C. (1998). Join the total fitness gang (Good health guides). Milwaukee, WI: Gareth Stevens. Mainland, P. (1999). A yoga parade of animals: A first book of yoga for children. Boston: Element Books. McGinty, A. B. (1998). Staying healthy: Let’s exercise! New York: Powerkids Press.
CHAPTER 23 Creative Health and Safety Experiences
Parizkova, J. (1996). Nutrition, physical activity, and health in early life: Studies in preschool children. Spokane, WA: CRC Press. Powell, J. (1998). Health matters series: Exercise and your health; Hygiene and your health; Drugs and your health; Food and your health. Chatham, NJ: SteckVaughn. Pediatric Emergency Department, Children’s Hospital at Yale. (1996). Now I know better: Kids tell kids about safety. New Haven, CT: Yale University. Richmond, J. B. (1995). Child health, nutrition and physical activity. Champaign, IL: Human Kinetics Publishers.
BOOKS FOR CHILDREN PRESCHOOL Bourgeois, P. (1999). Franklin and the tooth fairy. Topeka, KS: Econo-Clad Books. Bourgeois, P. (1999). Franklin’s neighborhood. New York: Scholastic. Bourgeois, P. (2000). Franklin goes to the hospital. New York: Scholastic. Bourgeois, P. (2000). Franklin’s bicycle helmet. New York: Scholastic. Brown, M. (1994). Arthur’s chicken pox. Boston: Little Brown. Civardi, A. (1993). Going to the doctor. Asheville, NC: Usborne. Civardi, A. (1995). Going to the dentist. Asheville, NC: Usborne. Cole, J. (1990). Your new potty. New York: Morrow. Cousins, L. (1990). Maisy goes to bed. Boston: Little Brown. Frankel, A. (1999). Once upon a potty: Boy. New York: HarperCollins. Frankel, A. (1999). Once upon a potty: Boy (with cassette). New York: HarperCollins. Frankel, A. (1999). Once upon a potty: Girl. New York: HarperCollins. Frankel, A. (1999). Once upon a potty: Girl (with cassette). New York: HarperCollins. Gomi, T. (1993). Everyone poops. Brooklyn, NY: Kane/ Miller. Mayer, M. (1997). Just a bubble bath: Scrub-a-dub bath book and soap gift set. New York: GT Publishing. McGrath, B. (1996). Uh oh! Gotta go! Potty tales from toddlers. New York: Barron’s. Meister, C. (1999). Tiny’s bath. New York: Viking. Mellor, C. (1994). Clark, the toothless shark: A pop-up, pull-tab book. New York: Golden Books. Rathmann, P. (1998). 10 minutes till bedtime. New York: Putnam. Rogers, F. (1998). Going to the potty. Gainesville, FL: Paper Star. Ross, T. (1991). I want my potty. Brooklyn, NY: Kane/ Miller.
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Smath, J. (1999). Yes, yes, get dressed. New York: Putnam.
KINDERGARTEN–GRADE 3 Carle, E. (1999). From head to toe. New York: HarperCollins. Cherry, L. (1998). Who’s sick today? New York: Harcourt Brace. Cole, J. (1999). The Magic School Bus explores the senses. New York: Scholastic. Dexter, P., & Bartos, J. (1999). Whaddaya doin’ in there: A bathroom companion for kids. New York: Penguin Putnam. Erlich, H. M. (2000). Dr. Duck. New York: Orchard Books. Girard, L. W. (1993). Alex, the kid with AIDS. Morton Grove, IL: Albert Whitman. Goodall, J. (1999). Dr. White. Miami, FL: North-South Books. Hallinan, P. K. (1996). My dentist, my friend. New York: Harcourt Brace. Johnson, P. B. (1999). The pig who ran a red light. New York: Orchard Books. Kehret, P. (1996). Small steps: The year I got polio. Morton Grove, IL: Albert Whitman. Lowell, G. R. (1999). Elana’s ears, or how I became the best big sister in the world. New York: Simon & Schuster. Maccarone, G. (1999). I have a cold. New York: Scholastic. Millen, C. M. (1999). The low-down laundry line blues. Boston: Houghton-Mifflin. Patent, D.H. (1998). Fire: Friend or foe. New York: Clarion. Pendziwol, J. (1999). No dragons for tea: Fire safety for Kids (and dragons). Buffalo, NY: Kids Can Press. Rice, J. A. (1997). Those mean nasty dirty downright disgusting but—invisible germs. Orlando, FL: Redleaf Press. Showers, P. (1997). Sleep is for everyone. New York: HarperCollins. Smith, L. (1995). Glasses, who needs ‘em? New York: Penguin. Spelman, C. (1997). Your body belongs to you. Morton Grove, IL: Albert Whitman. Sweeney, J. (1999). Me and my amazing body. New York: Crown Books. Thaler, M. (1995). The school nurse from the Black Lagoon. New York: Scholastic. Thorpe, K. (2000). The big blue house call. New York: Simon & Schuster. Yagyu, G. (1998). All about scabs. Brooklyn, NY: Kane/ Miller.
GRADES 4–5 Bode, J. (1998). Food fight. New York: Simon & Schuster. Chaiet, D., Russell, F., & Gee, L. (1998). The safe zone: A
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kid’s guide to personal safety. New York: Morrow. D’Amico, J. (1998). The healthy body cookbook: Over 50 fun activities and delicious recipes for kids. New York: John Wiley & Sons. DK Publishing. (1999). The human body. New York: Author. Greenfield, E. (1991). Night on neighborhood street. New York: Dial. Harris, R. H. (1996). It’s perfectly normal: Changing bodies, growing up, sex and sexual health. New York: Candlewick. Khalsa, S. K. (1998). Fly like a butterfly: Yoga for children. Chicago: Rudra Press. Lowry, L. (1992). Anastasia, ask your analyst. New York: Bantam Doubleday. Monson-Burton, M. (Ed.). (1999). Girls know best 2: Tips on life and fun stuff to do. Hillsboro, OR: Beyond Words Publishing. Patterson, C. (1994). It’s ok to be you: A frank and funny guide to growing up. Berkeley, CA: Tricycle Press. Peterson, M., & Haddix, P. (1997). Running out of time. New York: Simon & Schuster. Roehm, M. (Compiler). (1998). Boys know it all: Wise thoughts and wacky ideas from guys like you. (Vol. 3). Hillsboro, OR: Beyond Words Publishing. Schwager, T., & Schuerger, M. (1998). The right moves: A girl’s guide to getting fit and feeling good. Freemont, CA: Free Spirit Publishing. Silverstein, A., Silverstein, V., & Silverstein, R. (1992). Vitamins and minerals. Brookfield, CT: Millbrook. Stewart, M., & Lousada S. (1993). Yoga for children. New York: Simon & Schuster. Weiner, E. (1999). Taking food allergies to school. Berkeley, CA: Jay Jo Books. Williams, R., & Williams, V. (1998). Anger kills: 17 strategies for controlling the hostility that can harm your health. New York: HarperCollins. Wojciechowski, S. (1994). Don’t call me Beanhead! New York: Candlewick.
SOFTWARE FOR CHILDREN Body park. (Ages 4V10). (1994). Needham, MA: Virtual Knowledge. Choices, choices 5.0. (Ages 7–12). (1996). Watertown, MA: Tom Snyder Productions. Clubhouse kids learn about asthma. (Ages 4–10). (1996). Raleigh, NC: Mind Journey. Communicable and non-communicable diseases. (Ages 9–up). (1999). Chicago: SVE & Churchill Media. Explore the human body with bodyscope. (Ages 7–12). (1998). Minneapolis, MN: MECC. Grossology CD-ROM. (Ages 8–12). (1997). Redwood City, CA: SegaSoft. Learning about the human body. (Ages 9–14). (1996). Fairfield, CT: Queue, Inc. Let’s talk about me! Some more. (Ages 11–up). (1997). New York: Simon & Schuster Interactive. Life’s greatest mysteries. (Ages 8–up). (1995). Atlanta, GA: A.D.A.M. Software, Inc. Max comes to earth. (Ages 4–8). (1997). Carson, CA: Educational Insights. Multimedia: The human body. (Ages 10–up). (1999). Pleasantville, NY: Sunburst Communications, Inc. Pollution patrol. (Ages 7–11). (1998). Omaha, NE: Entrex/Educational Software. Radar rooster: A lesson in fire safety. (Ages 3–8). (1996). Erie, PA: Meridian Creative Group. STARBRIGHT life adventure series: Diabetes CD-ROM. (Ages 5–13). (1998). Los Angeles: STARBRIGHT Foundation. The environment. (Ages 7–12). (1999). Watertown, MA: Tom Snyder Productions. Ultimate Human Body 2.0. (Ages 8–up). (1996). New York: DK Multimedia.
For additional creative activity resources, visit our Web site at www.EarlyChildEd.delmar.com.
SECTION 7 Creative Celebrations: Holidays in the Early Childhood Curriculum REFLECTIVE QUESTIONS After studying this section, you should be able to answer the following questions. 1. Have I thought through my personal feelings on holidays and their place in the classroom? 2. What are my plans for including celebrations in my early childhood teaching practice? 3. How can I be sure my classroom and activities are non-biased and reflect the culture in my school and community? 4. Have I thought and worked through with my colleagues and parents, the holidays we feel are important in our curriculum? 5. Have I reflected on my own feelings about the religious aspects of holidays? 6. Do I have a good idea of how to develop a holiday policy for my early childhood classroom practice? 7. Do I know how to implement the basic steps to developing a holiday policy? 8. What are the ways I will use to assess the effectiveness of my holiday policy? 9. Have I thought through what I feel should be the goals of my holiday policy? 10. What are some basic markers of a quality, multicultural, anti-bias program? 11. Do I have a good idea of how to decide which holidays need only discussion and which are to be celebrated? 12. Am I using a developmentally appropriate approach to holiday celebrations in my work with children? 13. Am I including holidays in the curriculum in ways that fit the normal routine and do not over-stimulate children? 14. Am I including process-oriented, open-ended creative activities as part of my holiday curriculum? 15. Have I reviewed my holiday curriculum to be sure that there are no stereo-typed presentations of holidays or holidays that might frighten children? 16. Have I included all of the families and cultural groups necessary in the holiday curriculum planning?
The early childhood classroom has changed dramatically over the past ten years and will continue to do so. The growing diversity of the student groups in our classrooms provide teachers an exciting opportunity to help children understand and appreciate their own and other children’s unique, cultural differences. In this 7th edition of Creative Activities for Young Children, a change has been made in Section 7, the former Holiday Section, to reflect our diverse, multicultural society. One main change is that celebration is used synonymously with the term holiday to reflect a broader approach to these special days. Also, rather than presenting specific holidays and activities for incorporation into the early childhood curriculum, this section is designed to be a guide to assist you in creating your own unique and group-specific, anti-bias celebrations. In the following pages, you will find many suggestions and ideas for addressing what many teachers call the “holiday question.” Yet, this section will not do the work involved in finding the appropriate anti-bias approach to celebrations in your own school setting. You will need to do the work it takes in getting to know each of the children in your group and the special cultural differences each represents. From this assessment you will be able to decide which celebrations are most appropriate for your own group. Each of the chapters in Section 7 is designed to encourage critical thinking about celebrations and how to include them in the curriculum in an anti-bias, multicultural way. You will not find lists of holiday activities for children at the end of each chapter. Instead, you are encouraged to apply the ideas in these chapters to design your own creative holiday activities for your own unique situation. Also, instead of individual lists of children’s books at the end of each chapter, an entire chapter (Chapter 27) is devoted to children’s books for non-bias holiday celebrations. Chapter 27 presents a comprehensive, annotated list of children’s books as resources for planning your holiday curriculum. Section 7 is divided into the following chapters: Chapter 24 The Place of Celebrations in the Curriculum Chapter 25 Including Celebrations in the Curriculum Chapter 26 Developmentally Appropriate Celebrations Chapter 27 Resources for Celebrations
THE PLACE OF CELEBRATIONS IN THE CURRICULUM OBJECTIVES After studying this chapter, you should be able to: 1. State the ABC Task Force’s position on the place of holidays in the curriculum. 2. Explain how children learn best about other cultures. 3. List at least three reasons why it is important to include holiday celebrations in the curriculum. 4. Discuss ways to approach the religious aspects of holidays in working with young children.
H
olidays and celebrations have been a traditional part of the early childhood program as well as of this text. Holidays represent special times in the lives of families, communities, and cultures. Yet, there is a prevalent misconception that an anti-bias approach means the elimination of all holiday celebrations from the early childhood curriculum. The ABC Task Force’s book, Anti-Bias Curriculum: Tools for Empowering Children (Derman-Sparks, 1989) is often used as a reference for this approach. However, Louise Derman-Sparks, one of the authors of the ABC Task Force report, asserts that their report “does not say that people should stop all holiday activities in their educational program.” (Bisson, 1997, xiii). Instead, the ABC Task Force raised questions about how we have used holidays in the past and how we have presented and involved children in holiday activities. The primary message of the ABC Task Force’s chapter on holidays is to encourage early childhood educators to rethink and make changes necessary in their practice with regard to celebrations or holidays.
MEANING OF HOLIDAYS Holidays hold deep meaning for many people. They represent a whole complex of experiences, feelings, connections, and memories of families and friends. Some holiday memories are warm and positive; some are not. Some of us can’t wait for holidays, some of us want to “run away from home” at the thought of yet another holiday season. So, asking people to rethink their approach to using holidays in the curriculum is a more complex task than appears on the surface.
CELEBRATIONS AND HOLIDAYS—THE OLD WAY Many curriculum guides are organized around holidays. If these are commercial curriculum guides, when we use them with children, we’re often at the risk of providing activities that are meaningless to the children
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we teach. This is because the activities do not come from the children’s own experiences, interests, or questions. In addition, relying on holiday-based curriculum guides can mean neglecting other important and meaningful activities for children. Teachers know that it is important and essential to celebrate cultural diversity in the classroom, and we often seek out holiday celebrations to do this. Celebrations of holidays from different cultures has become a popular way for teaching about culture and diversity. This may seem to be a logical approach, since celebrations of holidays already play an important part in the curriculum in many programs. Yet, when celebrations become the main or only way to teach about cultural diversity, teachers do a great injustice to children’s education. Culture is not taught through a simple, single focus such as a holiday activity. Children learn about their culture every day of their lives, in daily living, in daily activities, and in daily interactions with others. They learn about other cultures over time, by getting to know the people of a culture and how they live their daily lives. Since celebrations of holidays are special times of the year, regular routines are not practiced at that particular time, and children won’t learn about the usual, everyday living of a cultural group by only learning about their celebrations of holidays. The result is a “tourist curriculum” and not an anti-bias curriculum (Derman-Sparks, 1989). Just like a tourist, the children “visit” a culture, participate in a few isolated activities as one might do on a vacation in another country, then return home to “regular classroom life” (Derman-Sparks). This discussion may lead you back to the beginning of this chapter, and the idea that a “no holiday” approach may be the best. Yet, leaving celebrations completely out of children’s classroom experiences can have a negative effect, especially for those children whose special holiday celebration is never reflected in stores, in television programs, in movies, greeting cards, or in the general public. Also, if you don’t include celebrations in your program, you are leaving out an important part of families’ lives. Consider in the example below, what a difference celebrating an Iranian holiday meant in one child’s life: A preschool program in Southern California enrolled children of culturally diverse backgrounds. One year the teacher became aware that one family’s cultural background was Iranian. When the mother came in on the first day of school to drop off her child, the teacher approached her and asked if her family celebrated Now-Ruz (Iranian New Year). The moth-
er was almost joyful in her reply, exclaiming, “Oh, I will like it here! No one has ever asked me that before!” The mother’s surprise and delight in the teacher’s knowledge about her culture and in the idea of including this holiday in her child’s program helped her feel connected, safe, and comfortable in the school environment. The teacher later went to her book collection and pulled out information about Now-Ruz and other Iranian holidays. She asked the mother if the information accurately reflected what their family believed and participated in. When the holiday arrived in March, the mother came in and participated in activities in the classroom with the children. The familiar holiday activities, along with other culturally relevant discussions and materials that the teacher included in the program, positively affected the child and her mother. Since the interactions, environment, and activities were culturally relevant, this child and her family thrived in the program (Booze, 1992).
Celebrations of holidays can help teach children to respect diversity and demonstrate in the classroom that different beliefs are good. Celebrations can also serve to connect children’s lives at home and school. They also provide another way for children and teachers to get to know each other on another level. By developing a curriculum that reflects the diverse celebrations of the children in your group, it provides an opportunity for a child to feel special. (Figure 24–1 summarizes these reasons for including holiday celebrations in the curriculum.) Celebrations create memories and as a sign over the portal of one of the Reggio Emilia schools said, “We are Friends When We Have Memories Together” (Scharmann, 1999, p. 26). Celebrations should never take over the curriculum; the day-to-day routine has great significance for young children and shouldn’t be continually interrupted by special events—either those loved by the adults in the program or those selected in the name of multiculturalism. The challenge is, rather, to select a few holiday celebrations to explore in depth during the school year and let the other go for the present, as far as your program is concerned. Chapter 25 presents ways to help you make the decision on which holidays you will incorporate into your program.
CHAPTER 24 The Place of Celebrations in the Curriculum
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■ To promote connections among children, families, and staff ■ To learn about important events in the lives of all children and families in the program ■ To support and validate the experiences of children, their families and staff in the program ■ To reinforce connection to cultural roots ■ To celebrate both similarities and differences in children’s lives. ■ To stretch children’s awareness and empathy ■ To teach children critical thinking about bias ■ To teach activism (Bisson,1997) FIGURE 24–1
Summary of reasons for including holiday celebrations in the early childhood curriculum.
FIGURE 24–2
Young children learn about other cultures in day-to-day experiences, not in single events.
FIGURE 24–3
Children learn about each other’s cultures over time, working and playing together.
CELEBRATIONS— FEELINGS AND BELIEFS A culture’s celebrations often have religious roots, and religious beliefs and differences have been a major source of conflict throughout history. One of your most challenging and important jobs will be to handle religion in ways that respect families’ beliefs without going against our constitutional guarantee of the separation of church and state. Just as much of a challenge will be to handle religious celebrations by not trivializing them by losing the essence of their meaning or focusing on their commercial representations. (Chapter 26 will help you deal with the issue of stereotypes.) Religion is a part of culture and has a strong impact on the way many people see the world and live their lives. Yet, just as it is important to put aside your personal feelings about celebrations in general, you need to be able to separate from your work with children your own religious beliefs and any biases that you might have about other beliefs. Supporting and respecting children’s and families’ beliefs doesn’t necessarily mean you agree with them, but such support is essential in helping each child in his or her social-emotional development. To be able to provide this support, you must understand your own feelings and beliefs about religion. Honestly explore your feelings about religion yourself and with colleagues, your supervisor, or other adults. Don’t be surprised if you react personally to matters of religion. It’s easy to become sensitive or defensive if a practice you believe in is challenged or omitted from the curriculum. In this regard, consider the various feelings that arose when an early childhood
staff chose to celebrate “el Día de los Muertos” (The Day of the Dead, a holiday originating in Mexico) instead of Halloween at their center. The Day of the Dead honors the ancestors, inviting back their souls to be among us for a time of family reunion. It is both a celebration of love and a frank acknowledgment of the reality of death. The celebration of el Día de los Muertos was seen as appropriate by staff of our school. The primary teachers saw the celebration as age-appropriate for their six- to eight-year-olds. Other adults with strong religious values reacted differently. In the primary class, one boy’s mother wouldn’t let him participate in making
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sugar skulls, an activity that offended her Christian views. The staff arranged for the child to visit kindergarten during this activity. He accepted his mother’s limits, although he was concerned about being left out of something fun. Another parent who was Christian, reacting to the skeletons Manuel had hung outdoors and to the use of the word “altar,” called other parents to try to organize a protest. “It’s Satanism,” she insisted. “Did you read the explanation of el Día de los Muertos that the teachers wrote?” she was asked. “No I saw enough to know that it’s Satanism,” she replied. Finally, asking, “Am I the only one with this issue?” she withdrew her child from the school (Neubert & Jones, 1998). Reprinted with permission from the National Assoc. for the Education of Young Children.
Obviously, celebrations can sometimes cause disagreements. These disagreements, small and large, that exist among us are part of our learning to live together as a diverse group. Yet, the airing of genuine differences among people is a source of continuing growth and learning for both children and adults. Doing things (including celebrations) the way “we’ve always done them” can be educationally unsound in a diverse and ever-changing world. In the
FIGURE 24–4
Meaningful activities for young children come from the children’s own experiences, interests, and questions.
twenty-first century, many choices will be available to our children. Making intelligent choices requires information as well as a values base. In the example above, “I don’t want to learn about it” was the reaction of one parent from a strong religious faith. In contrast, “I want to know about things,” was the reaction of a teacher from a similar faith background. While affirming her own values, she took professional responsibility for learning more in order to be helpful to children. She was able to recognize and appreciate the fact that dif-
Teacher’s Words May Clash With Cultures
When a teacher in a U.S. school tells a Mexican-born father that his daughter is contributing a lot to class discussions, his reaction may be dismay. The problem isn’t a language gap but a clash of cultural values. That’s the conclusion of a study by a group of California educators, who said American teachers need to make an adjustment when dealing with parents and students from a “collectivist” culture. Because the culture of the father in the example above emphasizes the well-being of the community, he may think that his daughter is showing off and taking time away from the classroom lesson. The teacher, on the other hand, raised in a culture that values individualism, wants to see students express ideas. For the same reason, a Latino student may become uncomfortable when a teacher praises him in front of classmates or encourages him to think critically about what he reads in textbooks and is told in class, the study said. In the student’s culture, authority resides in the textbook and the teacher. The researchers recommended that teachers praise such students for how their performance helped the class as a whole. When talking to the student’s parents, teachers should emphasize the child’s success at cooperating with others before moving on to individual achievements, the report said. The study, called Bridging Cultures, was sponsored by the San Francisco-based educational research agency WestEd and is available at www.WestEd.org.
CHAPTER 24 The Place of Celebrations in the Curriculum
FIGURE 24–5
Children need a predictable routine every day, filled with developmentally appropriate activities.
ferent cultures celebrate events in different ways (Neubert & Jones, 1998). Celebrations, then, will force you to try new things. Trying new things requires us to stretch, to gather new information, to experience the disequilibrium that many developmental experts insist is essential to cognitive and social development.
FIGURE 24–6
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Simple activities and not elaborate parties are more appropriate for young children.
As one teacher concluded from our el Día de los Muertos example, “Good curriculum is significant; it raises issues to be grappled with by adults and children alike. Multicultural curriculum isn’t just nice, it’s about genuine differences among people and the biases accompanying those differences as well as about the commonalties we share.” (Neubert & Jones, 1998, p. 9).
Our Culturally Diverse World
The children of today are growing up in a world that will be quite different than the one in which their parents grew up. A major difference will be the increasing diversity in the United States population. “By the year 2056, when someone born today will be 56 years old, the average U.S. resident will trace his or her descent to Africa, Asia, the Hispanic world, the Pacific Islands, Arabia—almost anywhere but white Europe” (Henry, 1999, p. 28). Race and ethnicity are not the only factors which make this country a very diverse society. Currently, 45 million Americans (13% of the U.S. population) are physically challenged. Also, one in every seven Americans speaks a language other than English in their homes. One fourth of the population is over 50 with the median age of the population continuing to rise (Imbert, 2000). An important responsibility of parents and teachers will be to help prepare children with the attitudes, knowledge, and skills necessary to live and work successfully in a complex, diverse world. Children begin to notice differences and evaluate others at a very early age. By the age of three, children begin to show signs of being influenced by societal norms and biases and may exhibit “pre-prejudice” toward others on the basis of gender or race or being differently abled (Derman-Sparks, 1989, p. 2). In fact, some psychologists say that children are “culturally programmed” by the age of three. Special efforts must be made to create a positive environment which acknowledges and values human differences, and that helps children learn positive, appropriate responses to differences. We need to be sure to make the environment of the early childhood program more inclusive, more reflective of the diverse society in which our children live.
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SECTION 7 Creative Celebrations: Holidays in the Early Childhood Curriculum
SUMMARY Holidays have been a traditional part of the early childhood program. Holidays represent special times in the lives of families, communities, and cultures. There is a prevalent misconception that a multicultural, anti-bias approach means the elimination of all holiday celebrations from the early childhood curriculum. However, while the ABC Task Force raised questions about how we have used holidays in the past, their primary message is to encourage early childhood educators to rethink and make changes necessary in their practice of holidays. The early childhood curriculum should not be organized around holidays. This practice can result in neglecting other important and meaningful activities for children. Centering the curriculum around holidays can also cause you to run the risk of providing activities that are meaningless to young children. Using holidays as the only means of introducing young children to other cultures can cause children to have an inappropriate view of cultures. Culture is not taught through a single-focus such as a holiday activity, but in daily living, in daily activities, and in daily interactions with others. Using holidays as the child’s only introduction to a culture can result in a “tourist curriculum.” Just like a tourist, the children “visit” a culture, participate in a few isolated activities, just as one might do on a vacation in another country. When the holiday activity is over, they return to “regular” classroom life. The challenge to early childhood educators is to select a few appropriate holiday celebrations to explore in depth in a developmentally appropriate manner during the school year and let the others go. A culture’s celebrations often have religious roots. One of your most challenging and important jobs will be to handle religion in a way that respects families’ beliefs without going against our constitutional guarantee of the separation of church and state. To be able to provide this support, you need to honestly explore your own feelings and beliefs about religion with yourself, your colleagues, supervisor, or other adults. Holidays are times filled with emotions—both good and bad. Views on holidays can differ among individuals and can sometimes cause disagreements. These disagreements are part of our learning to live together as a diverse group. Airing of genuine differences among people is a source of continuing growth and learning for both children and adults. Using an anti-bias, multicultural approach to celebrations will force you to try new things. Trying new things requires us to stretch, to gather new information, and to
experience the disequilibrium that is essential to cognitive and social development.
LEARNING ACTIVITIES A. Everyone has had experiences with holiday celebrations. Spend at least five minutes going back over the years of your holiday celebrations. Then write down your thoughts in response to these questions: 1. What is your earliest recollection of a holiday? 2. Use one adjective to describe this first holiday memory. 3. What is one of your happiest holiday memories? Your saddest? Your most disappointing? 4. Did your memories contain any religious connections to holidays? 5. Think back to your family holiday celebrations. When (if ever) did you understand the religious significance of the holiday? 6. Did you have childhood friends who celebrated different holidays than you celebrated? If so, did you understand why and/or what these holidays were? Did you participate in their holiday celebrations? After answering these questions, summarize your holiday experiences according to what was presented in this chapter. For example, were your experiences multicultural? Anti-Biased? Do your background and experiences with holidays relate to the experiences of the children in your group today? More specifically, do you feel that you can relate to the children in your current early childhood classroom with your own background on holidays? B. After completing item A. above, list your plans to address the problem/issues raised by that item. Example: Problem—My background on holidays is all Protestant Caucasian middle class with no experience with other religions, cultures, or classes. My current teaching situation is with a multi-ethnic, multi-cultural group with several Eastern and Hindu Religions represented. Plan—To learn about the Eastern religions and cultural groups represented in my group of children, and to learn about their holidays and cultures. Source of information—Parents, community, children, colleagues, supervisors. C. Did you ever experience a “tourist curriculum” in your childhood years? If so, relate your experience to the class. What could have been done differently to prevent this? Be specific in your answer.
CHAPTER 24 The Place of Celebrations in the Curriculum
D. Pretend that you can eliminate one holiday from ever existing. What holiday would it be and why? Compare your answers to your classmates’. Is there a consensus on this? If there is, what does this tell you about this particular holiday? About holidays in general? E. Since you cannot totally eliminate the holiday noted above, what can you do to make it a more acceptable pleasant holiday for yourself? Does your new approach to this holiday make it more appropriate for young children? Why or why not?
CHAPTER REVIEW 1. You are asked by your supervising teacher to cover Mexican cultures with the children in your group. She suggests a food activity of making tortillas for lunch during May. Then she wants you to have an art activity of making maracas for the music corner. Are these appropriate activities for introducing Mexican culture to young children? Why or why not? 2. Using the same situation as in the first question, describe how you would correct the above situation. Include in your answer your activities, your overall approach, and your curriculum ideas. 3. Why are curriculum guides that are designed around holidays not appropriate for the early childhood program? 4. What is the ABC Task Force’s position on holidays in the early childhood curriculum? 5. What is a “tourist curriculum?” Why is it not an antibias curriculum? 6. How do young children learn about different cultures? 7. Why are holidays not an appropriate way to learn about cultures? 8. Why is it not appropriate to completely eliminate holidays from the early childhood curriculum? 9. Explain why celebrations should never take over the curriculum. 10. Is it possible to eliminate religion from holiday celebrations? Why or why not? 11. Disagreements sometimes arise in the early childhood program about holiday celebrations. Are these destructive to the early childhood program? Why or why not?
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REFERENCES Bisson, J. (1997). Celebrate! An anti-bias guide to enjoying holidays in early childhood education programs. St. Paul, MN: Redleaf. Booze, R. (1992). Incorporating the principles of Kwanzaa into your daily curriculum: A handbook for teachers of young children. Unpublished master’s thesis, Pasadena, CA: Pacific Oaks College. Derman-Sparks, L., & the ABC Task Force. (1989). Antibias curriculum: Tools for empowering young children. Washington, DC: NAEYC. Henry, W. (1990). Beyond the melting pot. Time, 135(15), 28–31. Imbert, P. D. (2000). Creating a culturally diverse child care environment. www.lib.ucon.edu/CANR/ces/ child/newsarticles/CS622.html. Neubert, K., & Jones, E. (1998). Creating a culturally relevant holiday curriculum: A negotiation. Young Children, 53(5), 14–19. Scharmann, M. W. (1999). We are friends when we share memories together. Young Children, 53(2), 26–29.
ADDITIONAL READINGS Baylor, B. (1986). I’m in charge of celebrations. New York: Charles Scribner’s Sons. Berg, E. (1992). Family traditions: Celebrations for holidays and everyday. Pleasantville, NY: The Reader’s Digest Association, Inc. Bisson, J. (1997). Celebrate! An anti-bias guide to enjoying holidays in early childhood programs. St. Paul, MN: Redleaf. Fay, M. (1993). Children and religion: Making choices in a secular age. New York: Fireside. Imber-Black, E., & Roberts, J. (1992). Rituals for our times: Celebrating, healing and changing our lives and our relationships. New York: HarperCollins. Kendall, F. E. (1996). Diversity in the classroom: New approaches to the education of young children (2nd ed.). New York: Teacher’s College Press. Lee, E., Menkart, D., & Okazawa-Rey, M. (Eds.). (1998). Beyond heroes and holidays: A practical guide to K–12 anti-racist, multicultural education and staff development. Washington, DC: Network of Educators on the Americas. Santino, J. (1995). All around the year: Holidays and celebrations in American life. Chicago: University of Illinois Press. Stone, J. D. (1991). A Jehovah’s Witness perspective on holiday curriculum. Unpublished masters thesis, Pasadena, CA: Pacific Oaks College.
For additional creative activity resources, visit our Web site at www.EarlyChildEd.delmar.com.
INCLUDING CELEBRATIONS IN THE CURRICULUM OBJECTIVES After studying this chapter, you should be able to: 1. Discuss the importance of developing a holiday policy. 2. List the three steps involved in developing a holiday policy. 3. Discuss how to formulate goals of a holiday policy. 4. Discuss how to establish the curriculum specifics related to the goals. 5. Explain how to assess the effectiveness of your holiday policy.
N
ow that the importance of celebrations has been established in the early childhood curriculum, this chapter explores the ways to go about including celebrations in the curriculum in an appropriate, anti-bias way.
DEVELOPING A POLICY FOR CELEBRATIONS The first step to including holiday celebrations in the curriculum is to develop a holiday policy. Formulating a holiday policy at the same time you shape your new approach to holidays will help you make your decisions easier in the future. A holiday policy is a guide for everyone involved in your program to help them choose, implement, and evaluate celebration activities. Developing a holiday policy involves much critical thought guided by questions such as: What uni-
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versal values does the holiday represent? What cultural tradition? Is it developmentally appropriate in terms of children’s ability to understand? Does the holiday promote stereotypes? Will children learn all about it outside of your school? Using questions such as these, one program in a culturally diverse metropolitan center decided that their winter celebrations would include Hanukkah and Kwanzaa but not Christmas, except as it is represented in Las Posadas, the Mexican/Southwestern reenactment of Mary and Joseph’s finding no room at the inn (Neubert & Jones, 1998). By answering similar questions to those listed above, this center formulated a holiday policy they felt was appropriate for their particular center. Their policy guided their decisions, not a commercial curriculum guide, and not the general public. Your holiday policy must be clear, specific to your situation, and flexible. If you are a classroom teacher, it may be applicable to your individual room only.
CHAPTER 25 Including Celebrations in the Curriculum
Directors or supervisors may develop holiday policies to guide an entire program. Once you put your policy in place, you will always have it to refer to, to help guide your decisions as different situations arise. An established holiday celebration policy can also be used to communicate your holiday approach to new staff and families as they enter the program. It is important to remember that improving and changing the policy is an on-going responsibility of those in the early childhood program. Developing a holiday celebration policy involves time and effort. Your policy will naturally evolve and change as you experience successes and failures in your classroom with each passing holiday. But more than that, it is vital that you involve all those who will be affected by the policy in its development. This means all teachers, assistants, parents and guardians of the children in the group need to be included in formulating your policy on celebrations. If you don’t have everyone’s participation, you run the risk of not having them “buy into” the policy. When this happens, the teachers or family members involved may say that they understand and agree with the policy, but then may withhold their support and cooperation (Bisson, 1997). Some teachers or directors have developed holiday policies or made decisions about how to handle holidays that work well for them without consulting with families and co-workers. This solo approach is sometimes easier than organizing a group effort and working with others. Some teachers feel that they have more knowledge about child development and working with children than families and therefore think some decisions are better made by them and not parents. While these may be valid reasons for bypassing a group approach, this solo approach misses out on opportunities as well. One of the most valuable outcomes of bringing educators and families together to think about goals for holidays is the thoughtful discussions that ensue. Getting together and thinking through the issue of holidays provides an opportunity for community building between teachers and families. It is a wonderful chance for people to get to know one another, hear each other’s points of view, practice respectful listening, and learn about different values and practices. Families deserve to be involved in curriculum decision, particularly decisions about how holidays—which are so individual, personal, and important—will be handled. Given the chance, most families jump at the chance to be heard and to participate in the decisionmaking process. As a final note, be sure you present your basic ground rules before the group begins to work on a policy. For example, if you know that you will not allow
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violent or stereotypical costumes or decorations at Halloween, say so. If you cannot allow religious activities in your program, make sure everyone knows this before talking about Easter, Rosh Hashanah, or Ramadan.
BASIC STEPS TO A HOLIDAY POLICY The following are three basic steps to formulating your holiday celebration policy: establishing goals, designing specific activities to meet your goals, and assessing your outcomes.
STEP ONE—ESTABLISHING GOALS While each group will have its own individual set of goals, the following list may help you get started formulating your goals. ■ Write down what you want to accomplish by including celebration activities in the program. (Example: To validate children’s and families’ holiday experiences and traditions; to build a sense of community; to provide accurate information about holidays in a developmentally appropriate way; to provide a break in the routine, etc.) ■ Be sure that these goals relate to the children and families in your group. (That is, include holidays in the curriculum in a way that reflects the ethnic mix in the group.) ■ Be sure that these goals relate to your overall program and anti-bias curriculum goals. ■ Decide what place holidays will have in your program. (Fit the holidays into the curriculum and not the curriculum around the holidays.) Figure 25–1 is an example of one program’s holiday policy goals. Once you have established your goals for including celebrations in your curriculum, you are ready to establish the specifics of your holiday policy, the second step.
STEP TWO—ESTABLISH SPECIFICS OF YOUR HOLIDAY POLICY In this step you move beyond your broad, basic goals and set down the specifics of your holiday policy. At this point, you will want to consider the following points. ■ Determine how much total curriculum time will be spent on holidays.
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SECTION 7 Creative Celebrations: Holidays in the Early Childhood Curriculum
■ Decide how many holidays you will include each year.
Figure 25–2 is an example of how one center fit holidays into the curriculum to meet their goals.
■ Calculate how much time will be spent on each holiday.
Special considerations in formulating a holiday policy. There are some special considerations
■ Determine just exactly how you will include holiday celebrations in the curriculum. (Do we want to have a party for each holiday? Read a story and talk about each holiday?)
that also may be a part of formulating your holiday policy. These special considerations have to do with religious issues, which are often part of holiday celebrations. Some of these considerations are ■ Consider your individual circumstances to determine if it is appropriate to include holidays with a
■ Make sure that all activities are developmentally appropriate to the children in the group. (See Chapter 26 for more information on this.) ■ Make sure that all activities are culturally sensitive and non-stereotypical. ■ Make plans to involve families in holiday activities.
GOALS FOR INCLUDING HOLIDAYS IN THE CURRICULUM ■ To understand, respect, and validate the diverse needs of children and families ■ To understand that holiday celebrations are only one aspect of cultural diversity ■ To develop a self-awareness of culture and the role it plays in beliefs, attitudes and expectations ■ To encourage critical thinking about bias and unfairness ■ To provide accurate information about holidays in a developmentally appropriate manner ■ To work as a team with families and other community members to design developmentally appropriate holiday activities that meet the needs of individual children but also reflect the diversity of the group ■ To develop a classroom environment that reflects diversity of cultures and their celebrations in the selection of books and other learning materials ■ To involve parents in decision making at the school to ensure that holidays are culturally sensitive and reflect the culture of children and families ■ To teach children to respect and value holiday celebrations and traditions from diverse cultures FIGURE 25–1
Sample goals.
SEPTEMBER Whole class cooperative adventures Labor Day 16th—Mexican Independence Day Cooperative math activities Harvest festivals from around the world Study of seasons, plants, life cycle Autumnal Equinox Students interview each other. Do each other’s portraits. Start class meetings and group art projects ■ School and community walks ■ Writing (or taping) daily journals ■ Drawing about visions for ideal classroom/ ideal school ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■
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OCTOBER Visit local museum for exhibits for Day of the Dead Painting neighborhood shop windows with harvest, Halloween, and Day of the Dead themes (at request of owners) Columbus arrival from perspective of Native Americans Sukkot—Jewish holiday of harvest NOVEMBER Thanksgiving from many perspectives Festival of Light (Diwali, Hanukkah, Solstice, Christmas) Connect to science curriculum on light and shadow Neighborhood projects to show thanks to our neighbors Art projects on light and shadow
FIGURE 25–2
Sample curriculum including holidays— grade 3.
CHAPTER 25 Including Celebrations in the Curriculum
FIGURE 25–3
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Developing a holiday policy involves time and effort.
strong religious component. For instance, while recognizing a diverse group of holidays validates children and their families, bringing religious leaders into a public school setting is not appropriate. Decide if you will talk about the religious component and if so, in what way. Will teachers initiate the conversation on the religious aspects or will it be discussed only if the children bring it up? Use holiday activities as a way of enhancing respect for religions and traditions different from one’s own, but stress common themes, as well. (See Chapter 26 for ideas on this.) Have a plan for working with children and families who don’t celebrate a specific holiday or any holidays. Be sure in making any plans that no child is excluded and all children have choices to participate or choose alternative activities.
STEP THREE—ASSESSMENT As in all experiences in the early childhood program, you will learn by experience how adequate your holiday policy is for the children and families in your program. It helps to think of your holiday policy as a journey and not a destination. As you implement your holiday activities into the curriculum, you need to be constantly assessing. You need to be assessing their developmental appropriateness. You need to be assessing if they are culturally sensitive, and non-stereotypical. You need to be assessing their effectiveness in being a true anti-bias approach to different cultures and not a “tourist curriculum.”
FIGURE 25–4
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Be sure that all activities included in the curriculum are developmentally appropriate to the children in your group.
In addition to your ongoing self-assessment, it is also important to get input from families about their perception on the success of the celebrations. Keep notes on the daily success or failure of your holiday activities. Get input from other teachers and assistants who were involved in the celebration activities. You may also want to get input from older children (such as those children in grades 3–5) as to their feelings about your holiday activities. With younger children, their reactions are generally more obvious and “out in the open.” Then, use all of this assessment information to improve, redesign, and fine tune future celebrations in your curriculum. Holiday celebration policies will be as individual as each program and the families, children, and teachers in it. The crucial point is that the policy is thoughtful and reflective of the group. The example below demonstrates how a center’s holiday policy helped them make a decision to include a particular holiday in a way that was consistent with their holiday policy. …The decision to celebrate el Día de los Muertos was initiated at the request of a member of the school community to whom it was personally important. This is consistent with our policy that people in the social environment of a school are a significant potential source of emergent curriculum (Jones & Nimmo 1994, 127). …Also, according to our policy, this holiday tradition is shared by some families and teaching staff, as well as by many residents in the surrounding metropolitan areas. In the multilingual, multicultural Los Angeles area,
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SECTION 7 Creative Celebrations: Holidays in the Early Childhood Curriculum
FIGURE 25–5
Formulating a holiday policy will help you shape your approach to holidays in the future.
Spanish is heard frequently and Mexican holidays are publicly celebrated. This celebration, according to our policy, was age-appropriate for the primary class of six- to nine-year-olds. …Finally, it is consistent with our policy in that it avoids stereotypes in holiday celebrations. This celebration offers an alternative to Halloween, a holiday that has generated continuing staff dialogue over the years. A heavily commercialized mainstream holiday, Halloween is a mixture of northern European pre-Christian and Christian traditions. It perpetuates the witch stereotype historically exploited to suppress the power of wise women. It transforms fear into fun: masks, costumes, and candy create a good time for all (except the under-fours, who recognize the fearful when they see it). El Día de los Muertos comes from a parallel tradition, not part of the U.S. mainstream but very significant in our region of the country. It mixes indigenous and colonial roots and, like Halloween, transforms fear into fun. It differs from Halloween, however, in its focus on the generation of the family and on the memory of those who have passed on (Luenn, 1998). This focus may lend itself more to developmentally appropriate curriculum and to teach
caring as a value than does any aspect of Halloween (Neubert & Jones, 1998).
FIGURE 25–6
Working on a holiday policy with parents is a wonderful opportunity for people to get to know one another, hear each other’s point of view, practice respectful listening, and learn about different values and practices.
Not every school would choose to celebrate el Día de los Muertos or to give up Halloween. The example above illustrates the process of paying careful attention to a thoughtfully formulated holiday policy for the benefit of young children. Chapter 26 gives further insight into benefiting young children by including celebrations in the curriculum in a developmentally appropriate manner.
CHAPTER 25 Including Celebrations in the Curriculum
SUMMARY The first step to including holidays in the curriculum is to develop a holiday policy. Formulating a holiday policy at the same time you shape your new approach to holidays will help you make your decisions easier in the future. A holiday policy is a guide for everyone involved in your program to help them choose, implement, and evaluate holiday activities. Your holiday policy must be clear, specific to your situation, and flexible. It is vital that you involve all those who will be affected by the policy in its development. This means all teachers, assistants, parents, and guardians of the children in the group need to be included in formulating your policy on celebrations. If you don’t have everyone’s participation, you run the risk of not having them “buy into” the policy. Getting together and thinking through the issue of holidays provides an opportunity for community building between teachers and families. It is a wonderful opportunity for people to get to know one another, hear each other’s points of view, practice respectful listening, and learn about different values and practices. Be sure to present your basic ground rules before the group begins to work on a policy. For example, if you know that you will not allow violent or stereotypical costumes or decorations at Halloween, make this a ground rule. The three basic steps to a holiday policy are: (1) establishing goals; (2) establishing the specifics of your holiday policy based on these goals; and (3) assessing your policy. Establishing goals involves listing what you want to accomplish by including celebrations in the program. An example of one’s goals would be: To validate children’s and families’ holiday experiences and traditions. Be sure that these goals relate to the children and families in your group. This means including holidays in the curriculum in a way that reflects the ethnic mix in the group. Be sure that these goals are related to your overall program and anti-bias curriculum goals. Then decide the place holidays will have in your program. Establishing the specifics of your holiday policy involves considering the following points: The amount of time you will spend on holidays, the number of holidays you will have each year, and the way you will include holiday celebrations in the curriculum. Also, in considering these specific points of your holiday policy, be sure that all activities to be included in the curriculum are developmentally appropriate to the children in the group. Activities to be included also must be culturally sensitive and non-stereotypical. Then, be sure to involve families in developing all holiday activities.
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There are special considerations that also may be a part of formulating your holiday policy. These special considerations have to do with religious issues which are often part of holiday celebrations. The third step in developing a holiday policy is assessment. As you implement your holiday activities into the curriculum, you need to be constantly assessing. You need to be assessing their developmental appropriateness and if they are culturally sensitive and non-stereotypical. Assessment also involves evaluation of their effectiveness in being a true anti-bias approach to different cultures and not a “tourist curriculum.” In addition to your ongoing self-assessment, it is also important to get input from families about their perception of the success of the celebrations. It also helps to get input from other teachers and assistants who were involved in the activities. Then, use all of this assessment information to improve, redesign, and fine tune holidays in your curriculum.
KEY TERM holiday policy
LEARNING ACTIVITIES A. You are a teacher in a large, inner city, multicultural program. Write at least three goals that you have formulated for your holiday policy. Give your rationale for each goal. Next, choose another contrasting type of center (you make up the specifics) and write at least three goals that you have formulated for your holiday policy. Compare and contrast the goals for these two centers. B. Role play this situation with fellow students: You are a teacher in a large, multi-cultural, urban school. You have been asked by your center director to be in charge of the Christmas holiday program for the school. Respond to this request. Include in your dialogue with the director: (1) Reasons for and/or against the program; (2) your school’s goals for this (and any other) holiday celebration; and (3) the role of assessment in your plans for this holiday celebration. C. Use the same situation from B. above and role play another conversation with the program director. In this scenario, you have decided to celebrate a different holiday than Christmas. What holiday would you celebrate instead of Christmas? In your dialogue, give the director your rationale for choosing this holiday. Give a brief summary of what activities
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E.
F.
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SECTION 7 Creative Celebrations: Holidays in the Early Childhood Curriculum
you are planning. Explain how these activities are consistent with the goals of this school’s holiday policy. In your program, one of the goals of your holiday policy is: To validate children’s and families’ holiday experiences and traditions. Using this goal, write a letter to parents sharing with the families what curriculum specifics you have planned for a particular holiday(s). During a conference, a parent tells you that her child is afraid to come to school since you have started discussing El Día de los Muertos. How would you respond to this parent? How would you examine your current activities with regard to this parent’s concern? What role does development level play in this situation? After examining the activities in your holiday curriculum, what changes do you anticipate you would have to make, if any? Write a holiday activity assessment survey for the families of children in your room or field work setting. What questions would you include? Explain how you would use this survey information in future planning. Obtain a copy of an early childhood curriculum guide. Evaluate it for these points. ■ number of holidays included ■ number of activities included for each holiday ■ amount of time estimated to be spent on each holiday ■ developmental appropriateness of holiday activities ■ inclusion of anti-bias, non-stereotypical holidays and activities. Discuss your evaluation of the curriculum guide. Based on your evaluation, would you use this curriculum guide? Why or why not? In your program, you have several children whose religion does not allow any holiday celebrations. Write out some specific curriculum activities for these particular children during the time the group is involved in holiday activities. Include in your activities, age of child(ren), type of activity, and why it is developmentally appropriate for this age group. Visit two contrasting early childhood programs (preferably at holiday time). For example, visit one small suburban center and a large, federally-funded urban center. Compare and contrast the holiday activities you observed in each setting. If it is not a holiday time, review activity plans from a holiday already past. Can you see in these activities the evidence of a holiday policy? Why or why not? Do the
activities reflect the ethnic and cultural make-up of the group? Be specific in your reply. Are the activities developmentally appropriate? Explain why or why not. J. Obtain an early childhood program supply catalogue. Review it for the following: supplies for holiday activities, children’s books on holidays, holiday activity books/curriculum guides, different ethnic groups represented in toys, such as puppets, dolls, or housekeeping corner supplies. Is there an emphasis on any particular holiday(s)? If so, which one(s) did you find? Did you find any supplies, books, toys, etc. that you would buy for your own use in your work with children? Explain which ones and why you would purchase them.
CHAPTER REVIEW 1. What is the first step to including celebrations in the curriculum? 2. What is a holiday policy? 3. What are some advantages of having a holiday policy? 4. Who should be involved in formulating a holiday policy? 5. Why is the solo approach to formulating a holiday policy sometimes ineffective? 6. What are some advantages of working together as a group on formulating a holiday policy? 7. What are ground rules in formulation of a holiday policy? 8. What are three basic steps to formulating a holiday policy? 9. List some things to consider when developing goals for your holiday policy. 10. What are some specifics to consider in formulating your holiday policy? 11. What are some special considerations that may be a part of formulating your holiday policy? 12. Why is assessment important in formulating a holiday policy? 13. Which individuals should be included in your holiday policy assessment? 14. Why should families be included in holiday activity/curriculum decisions? 15. Will a holiday policy be the same year to year? Explain why or why not.
CHAPTER 25 Including Celebrations in the Curriculum
REFERENCES Bisson, J. (1997). Celebrate: An anti-bias guide to enjoying holidays in early childhood programs. St. Paul, MN: Redleaf Press. Jones, E., & Nimmo, J. (1994). Emergent curriculum. Washington, DC: NAEYC. Luenn, N. (1998). A gift for Abuelita. Flagstaff, AZ: Northland. Neubert, K., & Jones, E. (1998). Creating a culturally relevant holiday curriculum: A negotiation. Young Children, 53(5), 14–19.
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ADDITIONAL READING Derman-Sparks, L., & Phillips, C. B. (1999). Teaching/ learning anti-racism: A developmental approach. New York: Teachers College Press. Hall, N. S. (1999). Creative resources for the anti-bias classroom. Albany, NY: Delmar. Kahl, M. A. (1999). Global art. New York: Gryphon House. Rodrigues, B. M. (with J. B. Garcia). (1998). Extending the dialogue on diversity issues in family support. Chicago: Family Resource Coalition of America.
For additional creative activity resources, visit our Web site at www.EarlyChildEd.delmar.com.
DEVELOPMENTALLY DEV APPROPRIATE CELEBRATIONS OBJECTIVES After studying this chapter, you should be able to: 1. Describe the markers of a quality, multi-cultural, anti-bias curriculum. 2. Explain how to include holidays in the curriculum in a way that is developmentally appropriate. 3. Discuss the place of holidays in the curriculum with regard to the normal routine. 4. Describe how holiday activities can be process-oriented and open-ended. 5. Explain how mainstream holidays can be adjusted to fit developmentally appropriate practice.
W
hen asked the question “What does a multicultural classroom look like?” one educator replied, “Instead of considering it a melting pot where cultures are blended and assembled, a better analogy is a salad bowl, where uniquely individual ingredients are necessary and distinct (Madrazo, Jr., 1999, p. 6). Incorporating celebrations into the early childhood curriculum is much like this “salad bowl” approach. In blending holidays into a developmentally appropriate curriculum, each child’s uniqueness is a necessary and distinct ingredient to the holiday curriculum. Figure 26–1 presents the basic characteristics of a quality, multicultural, anti-bias curriculum in which holiday celebrations are incorporated. The same anti-bias, developmentally appropriate approach is the main ingredient for successful holiday activities in the curriculum. It involves understanding developmentally appropriate practice and planning
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activities that meet developmental needs. It is as simple as that! Yet when it comes to holidays, it’s all too easy to lose sight of all we know about early childhood development and practice, and fall into a “holiday trap.” For example, early childhood teachers know that a threeyear-old’s concept of time is very basic and generally tied to familiar, real events, such as the next time she wakes up in the morning or what comes next on the day’s schedule. However, it is not uncommon for teachers of three-year-olds to introduce units about the first story of Thanksgiving, an event that happened hundreds of years ago. This is obviously far too complex a concept for three-year-olds to grasp. It is a meaningless event to a three-year-old. In the same way, many teachers work hard all year to provide creative art activities that are open-ended and process-oriented. Yet, these same teachers can be found encour-
CHAPTER 26 Developmentally Appropriate Celebrations
The following markers, defined by Louise Derman-Sparks (1999) describe a program well on the way to a quality, multicultural, anti-bias education. ■ The daily curriculum incorporates children’s daily life experiences. ■ The staff adapt curriculum and teacher-child interaction to meet cultural as well as individual and developmental needs of their children. ■ Knowledge from parents or family caregivers about their home cultures is incorporated into the curriculum. ■ Both the curriculum and daily classroom life incorporate diversity and justice issues related to gender, disabilities, socioeconomic status, and the many ways of being a family, as well as issues related to ethnicity and culture. ■ A variety of strategies are used by staff to involve parents actively and regularly in the program. ■ Children are encouraged to develop critical thinking and tools for resisting prejudice and unfair behavior directed at themselves or others. ■ The cultural diversity and language of the children and families, as well as in the community are reflected in the program. ■ There is a continuous examination by staff of their practice and the influences of their cultural backgrounds to help each other uncover and change biases and hurtful (even if unintentional) behaviors (Derman-Sparks, 1999, p. 43).
FIGURE 26–1
Check your curriculum for anti-bias quality markers. (Printed with permission of the National Association for the Young Children.)
aging children to paint a red, heart-shaped cutout at Valentine’s Day, to glue cotton balls on a bunny shape at Easter, or to make hand prints on tie shapes for a Father’s Day present. If you find yourself somewhere in this description, consider taking some time to review the abundance of material about the cognitive stages of young children that is available to you as an early childhood educator. (References are found in Chapters 8–10). NAEYC’s publication, Developmentally Appropriate Practices– Revised is another important resource (Bredekamp & Copple, 1997). Reflect on the information you already have from this text or refer to the sources in Chapters 8–10 for new information to guide you.
FIGURE 26–2
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Toys that children play with should reflect the diversity of cultures.
When considering incorporating holiday activities for young children in the curriculum, the following are basic developmental characteristics of young children which need to be considered. ■ Very young children learn through actions and need concrete, hands-on experiences. ■ Young children are egocentric and believe that everyone shares their thoughts and experiences: “Everyone is like me.” ■ Older children can begin to understand more abstract concepts. Many theorists feel there is a developmental shift for children around the ages of 5 to 7 years, when children begin to have a wider and more flexible understanding of different people and different rituals. Because their minds can handle a little bit more abstract thinking, teachers are able to introduce concepts that are more complex than in the preschool and kindergarten years. For example, fourth graders can talk about people in other countries, what they wear for celebrations, and what they wear on a normal day. Older children are able to compare and contrast the practices of people in other countries with what they do in their own houses. Four-year-olds, however, do not have the same ability to think abstractly and reason in the same way as fourth graders. Without direct experience with the lives of people who live in other countries (or in other ways), preschool children are not able to comprehend who these people are or how their lives are similar to or different from their own. These children need concrete, firsthand experiences in order to learn and understand.
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ACHIEVING DEVELOPMENTALLY APPROPRIATE HOLIDAY CELEBRATIONS IN THE CURRICULUM An early childhood curriculum with developmentally appropriate celebrations will not necessarily include routine celebrations of all national holidays such as Thanksgiving, Christmas, Easter, or Mother’s Day. These holidays represent the cultural/religious way of life and view of history of a large part of the population in the U.S.—but not all of it. Many people do not consider these holidays central to their cultural or religious group’s way of life. For example, not all groups would agree with the view of history as expressed in the traditional Thanksgiving story. Many families do not fit into the one-gift-for-Mother’s-Day category. We will discuss a bit later in this chapter how to make these cel-
ebrations (if you choose to include them) more developmentally appropriate for children. Too many holidays that occur too often and overwhelm children with food, decorations, and music are a problem in many programs. These activities are exciting but can be too exciting, over stimulating children and neglecting their everyday developmental need for familiar, predictable routines. The following are some basic strategies for including holidays that address the developmental needs of children.
DISCUSSING RATHER THAN CELEBRATING Not every holiday activity has to mean a party. Instead, it may be more appropriate to hold a circle time discussion or read books about a holiday, or even to have family members in to talk about how they celebrate at home. For example, in one program in which many families celebrate Chinese New Year, children and their
Teaching Culture Through Foods
Beginning in November in many schools, food becomes a special part of daily life. It’s the main ingredient in family gatherings and holiday and cultural celebrations. Using food as the basis, children can learn a great deal about how different families prepare and enjoy a variety of food. And in the process, they will be learning about each other in a natural, non-stereotypical way. Here are some suggestions on how to use food as a way to help learn about each other’s cultures. ■ Invite children to share what they know about the way food is a part of their family celebrations. Simply asking, “How does your family prepare foods for celebrations?” will start the ball rolling. You can also ask, “Who prepares them?” or “What foods does your family make and eat that you don’t see at your friends’ houses?” Note children’s suggestions on a large sheet of paper. Compare similarities and differences with the children. ■ This dialogue about food can then lead to investigative questions. Write children’s responses to questions like these: What do you know about cooking? What would you like to find out about cooking? What would you like to learn how to cook? ■ Based on the children’s answers to the above questions, you can then develop your next steps into learning about each other through cooking. Remember to include the children in devising a plan for how to explore answers to their questions and how they want to learn about cooking. ■ Invite families and friends to share their favorite cultural celebration food with the class. Be sure the adults let the children participate in the preparation. Encourage children to ask questions and taste new things. ■ A culminating event can be something large like a class-created Cultural Foods Smorgasbord to share with the families or something smaller like writing and drawing a Class Cookbook. You might even decide to have a bake sale and give the money earned to a charity of the children’s choice. Food is a natural favorite of children. Learning about each other through preparation and enjoyment of food together is natural, fun, and delicious!
CHAPTER 26 Developmentally Appropriate Celebrations
families set the tone of the celebration. One child brought in a Chinese calendar and another brought in a book about Chinese New Year. A third child brought in some Lei See (red envelopes with lucky money inside, traditionally given out on Chinese New Year). Several families brought in different paper lions similar to the ones they would see at the Lion Dance in Chinatown. The teacher talked about the holiday these families would be celebrating. Then the class shared the paper lion one child brought, while the child described how she was afraid of the huge lion head that the dancers carried during last year’s parade and how she wouldn’t be afraid this year. Then the teacher read the book about Chinese New Year. The discussion ended with one child distributing the Lei See to the children. No additional activities were planned. The children did ask to have the children’s book read to them again on several occasions (Bisson, 1997). This low-key, developmentally appropriate approach works especially well when there is a holiday that attracts the children’s attention, but is not developmentally appropriate to cover with young children. By way of example, children who attend a program housed in a public school may notice pictures of George Washington and Lincoln on bulletin boards. They may ask about these men. It is, of course, appropriate and necessary to answer children’s questions directly and simply about what Presidents Day is all about. However, because these men who lived long ago don’t have particular relevance in their own lives, young children will not understand much about them. Therefore, it’s not appropriate to explain the holiday in great detail or plan activities around this day.
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observe children to make sure they do not become overstimulated by too many people, activities, or food.
DO NOT MAKE HOLIDAYS THE CENTER OF YOUR CURRICULUM It is important to reiterate that it is best not to make any holiday the entire focus of your curriculum for an extended time. In some programs, for example, teachers turn December into one long holiday activity. This approach not only over-stimulates children but it also leaves out a lot of other wonderful activities and curriculum themes that are meaningful for children. Also, children who don’t celebrate holidays in December feel left out for a very long time.
AVOID HOLIDAYS THAT MAY FRIGHTEN CHILDREN At Halloween it is very common for young children to be frightened by masks and people in costumes. This is due in part to the difficulty young children have in
SCHEDULE HOLIDAYS TO FIT REGULAR ROUTINES Introduce activities that allow you to follow your normal routines as much as possible. Holiday activities that last for more than a day or two or that include a lot of sugary snacks, large parties where families visit and stay too long, or coaching children to memorize songs for a program can all be too much for young children (and their teachers, too!). Instead of these developmentally inappropriate activities, design holiday celebrations to fit developmentally appropriate practice. For example, set up holiday art or decorating activities during regular free choice or activity time. Have families visit for a short meal at the regular lunch time so children still have time to rest. Learn songs together as you normally would. Then invite families to participate in a sing-along instead of a pressure-filled performance by the children. Throughout your holiday activities,
FIGURE 26–3
Children’s routines should not be overly disrupted for holiday celebrations.
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telling the difference between reality and fantasy. In a similar way, children might be afraid of the lion’s head carried by dancers in the Lion Dance performed at Chinese New Year. And we all know how many children are frightened of a “real” Santa Claus. In your planning, look for ways to avoid the scary aspects of these rituals and still create opportunities for fun. For example, instead of having children come to school wearing their costumes and masks, provide a wide variety of dress-up clothing and materials for mask-making in the centers. Introduce a smaller model of the lion carried in Chinese New Year dances instead of a fullsized version.
starch along with the tissue paper and children would have the option to make “stained-glass” creations. To meet children’s developmental needs, you will want to have a variety of creative activities available every day that address all areas of development, including language, math, science, small and large motor skills, creative, cognitive, and social development. But instead of trying to fit all of these into a holiday theme, consider making one or two of the activities holidayrelated. The remaining ones can focus on other topics that are relevant and interesting to children at the same time, such as changing seasons, new babies, or growing things.
CONCENTRATE ON PROCESSORIENTED, OPEN-ENDED, CREATIVE ACTIVITIES
ALTERING HOLIDAYS TO FIT DEVELOPMENTALLY APPROPRIATE PRACTICE
Holiday-related projects that allow for individual process and creativity provide a good balance for more hectic activities and large social gatherings. The twoand three-dimensional activities in Chapters 12 and 13 provide many options for activities during the holidays. Water play, digging in sand, making and modeling clay are activities that are always calming and appropriate for holidays. If you wish, you can make them more festive by adding holiday-related colors to sand or water in the sensory table or spices to play dough. For creative art projects, combine holiday and nonholiday possibilities that allow children to create anything they choose. For example, if you are setting out tissue paper and pipe cleaners so children can make paper flowers for Cinco de Mayo, include other materials such as fabric scraps, different types of paper and glue for other activities children may prefer such as collage making. Add plastic bottles filled with liquid
As early childhood educators we can use what we know about development to create an environment that is good for young children. We can use developmental theory to help us choose appropriate books, toys, and all the materials in the program so that they are nurturing for young children. In this same proactive approach, we can change our approach to holidays so they are developmentally appropriate for young children. You can pick and choose aspects of a holiday to focus on without losing the essence or meaning of the holiday. This can be useful in making activities developmentally appropriate, as well as emphasizing the
FIGURE 26–5 FIGURE 26–4
Listening to a story about a cultural holiday is often enough for young children.
Older children have a wider and more flexible understanding of different rituals. Books about other cultures are appropriate for this age group.
CHAPTER 26 Developmentally Appropriate Celebrations
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most meaningful parts of holidays, and avoiding commercialism and materialism. Sometimes a new angle on a holiday is all that’s needed to make it more suitable for an early childhood curriculum. To get you started thinking along these lines, the following are three examples of changing the focus of a holiday to make it more developmentally appropriate.
Thanksgiving—A developmental approach. Thanksgiving is a difficult holiday to present to young children for several reasons. First, it recognizes an event that happened hundreds of years ago, too long ago for young children to grasp. Second, it relays, most often in a one-sided manner, a part of history that has more than one side. Third, it often reinforces misinformation and negative stereotypes about Native Americans (Bisson, 1997). You can make this holiday more meaningful for young children and at the same time avoid its inappropriate aspects by focusing on the more general concepts of harvest and thankfulness, rather than the historical aspects. These two themes are more appropriate and easier for young children to understand. This is because they are more concrete and concepts young children can see and experience in everyday life. Teachers can introduce activities about foods and where they come from. Discussions can follow about which food(s) are the children’s favorites and all the things they are most thankful for. These concepts can also be included in science, math, and creative and language arts activities. The main theme of this holiday is that people in all cultures and countries celebrate and are thankful for the food they have to eat. They are also thankful for family, friends, and a safe place to live.
Valentine’s Day—A developmental approach. This holiday has become very commercial, which is unfortunate because there are some wonderful themes in this holiday that are meaningful to young children, such as friendship and caring. One program in southern California has modified Valentine’s Day, calling it Appreciation Day, instead, and incorporating the meaningful themes while avoiding the commercial influence (Booze, 1992). They hold an Appreciation Day, which is designed to show their appreciation to everyone in the school community who help to make their days easier. They include people like the secretary, the director, the janitor, the cook, and others. Small group discussions with the children about how lucky they are to have these special people are held for several weeks. A day or so before the Appreciation Day (which happens on or around February 14), the children make and deliver invitations, inviting all of
FIGURE 26–6
A non-bias curriculum includes children with special needs.
these people to come to their room for muffins and juice. A group of children and adults bake the muffins for the party and set them out on the table in time for the guests to enjoy.
Mother’s and Father’s Day—A developmental approach. Young children naturally enjoy making things for their parents and others. Making gifts for Mothers or Fathers is a natural extension of this. However, considering the diversity in the kinds of families in our society, traditional ways of celebrating these days may no longer be appropriate for many children. Encouraging children to make gifts for mothers on Mother’s Day is not appropriate and can be very hurtful for a child whose only parent is her father. Similarly, putting out materials for children to make Father’s Day gifts doesn’t work for a child who has two moms and no dad. A better approach to this celebration is to have a Family Day instead. A Family Day allows children from any family configuration to be included. In your
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art area have materials available so children who want to can make gifts or cards for anyone in their family. No child in this situation would be required to participate if they did not feel like doing so. Of course, making gifts for special people doesn’t have to be on one or two designated days. Have materials available throughout the year in your art center so children who feel like making a gift for a parent, caregiver, or other special individual can do so whenever the mood moves them. CONNECT UNFAMILIAR HOLIDAYS TO FAMILIAR ONES Throughout the early childhood curriculum, children need adults to make connections for them as they learn and grow. As educators we do this when we present new ideas in the curriculum by helping children associate them with more familiar, already-grasped ideas. Just as teachers design curriculum on present learning, new cultural celebrations can be introduced by associating them with those already familiar to young children. One way to make the connection for children is to focus on the underlying themes that many holidays have in common, such as festivals of light or liberation (Bisson, 1997). Children are able to identify more successfully with a holiday and the people who celebrate it when the new celebration has a theme similar to their own. Consider the following examples of related themes to aid you in planning developmentally appropriate celebrations for young children. ■ Celebration of Lights: Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, Santa Lucia Day (Swedish Light Festival), Diwali (Hindu festival of lights) ■ New Year: American New Year’s Day, Rosh Hashanah (Jewish New Year), Chinese New Year, Shogatsu (3-day Japanese New Year’s celebration), Hmong New Yea, Tet (Vietnamese New Year). This is just a sampling, as almost all cultures celebrate the New Year. ■ Harvest: Thanksgiving, Kwanzaa (African American harvest celebration), Sukkot (Jewish harvest festival), Makahiki (Hawaiian harvest) ■ Freedom: Fourth of July, Mexican Independence Day, Passover, Hanukkah, Cinco de Mayo, Juneteenth (the 19th of June, 1865, the day slaves in Texas learned of their freedom), Martin Luther King, Jr.’s birthday. ■ Death: Día de los Muertos (Mexican Day of the Dead), Kwanzaa, All Souls Day, Memorial Day ■ Spring/New Growth: Easter, Semana Criolla (Creole Week—Holy Week); Burning of Juday (Mexican holiday before Easter), Carnaval (Brazilian holiday in late February); Tet Nhat (Vietnamese Springtime
FIGURE 26–7
Schedule holiday activities to fit regular routines. Have parents visit at snack time to share this short time together.
holiday with unicorn as a symbol); Ch’ing Ming— Chinese Springtime celebration of trees, Kalpa Vruksha—Indian festival of tree planting; Setsu Bun—Japanese holiday on February 3rd is a beanthrowing festival; Tu B’Shvat —Jewish celebration of New Year of Trees marking the beginning of Spring; Apoo—Ghana’s Spring Festival, celebrated during the Spring equinox; Thailand’s Songkran— National Spring Festival when the new moon appears in the April sky; Zimbabwe’s Whitsunday, a Springtime festival celebrated on the seventh Sunday after Easter.
DEVELOPMENTALLY APPROPRIATE CELEBRATIONS IN THE YEAR-ROUND CURRICULUM We know that the best multicultural learning is that which is daily. True multicultural learning teaches young children about the daily lives of peoples. In contrast to a “tourist curriculum,” a developmentally appropriate, anti-bias curriculum reflects the various cultures and ethnic groups throughout the room as well as in the curriculum. It is the same with developmentally appropriate celebrations in the curriculum. Holiday books need to be on the shelves all year long so children and teachers can have conversations throughout the year about particular holidays and the values associated with them. Keep relevant decorations up on the walls. For example, good luck symbols from Chinese New Year and a poster of the Nguzo Saba (seven principles of Kwanzaa) commemorate principles and ideas that can be included in the curriculum all year. Through such repetition and connection to daily life,
CHAPTER 26 Developmentally Appropriate Celebrations
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Stereotypes
Stereotypes are damaging to the people stereotyped and to every child who will grow up with false information. Many of our national holidays reflect common examples of stereotypes. Think about the following points and check off any that apply to your classroom. _____ Children who aren’t Native Americans wear “Indian” costumes for a holiday celebration or at any time. Dressing up to be “Indians” is offensive. _____ Senior women are portrayed as green-faced, wart-nosed evil beings in Halloween decorations. _____ The color black is portrayed as bad and evil through black cats, black bats, and black witches’ costumes for Halloween celebrations. _____ Native Americans are portrayed as half-naked, uncivilized, grunting individuals in the Thanksgiving story. _____ The story of Columbus reflects only the European perspective, ignoring the fact that thousands of Native Americans were already in America at the time of the “discovery.” _____ The Thanksgiving story is told from the European perspective, leaving out the story of Native Americans. _____ Pilgrims are portrayed in an overly simplistic fashion with large-buckled shoes, high black hats, and starched white collars, missing the realities of their dress and customs at that time in history. You will have other stereotypes to add to this list that may be specific to your own experiences.
the celebration and the meanings that underlie them become more familiar to children. As an example, using the seven principles of Kwanzaa, you may choose to make several of them year-round themes in your classroom. The principle of working together (Ujima), creativity (Kuumba), and faith (Imani, as having confidence in ourselves) could be reinforced well before the holiday begins. As you discuss these principles with children over time, they will come to have meaning for the children. In turn, the holiday that celebrates these principles will itself become more meaningful. When Kwanzaa comes around in December, you can remind the children that you’ve been talking about the important messages of Nguzo Saba all year long (Booze, 1992). Figure 26–9 presents more guidelines on how to make your curriculum reflect an anti-bias multicultural approach all year round.
DEVELOPMENTALLY APPROPRIATE HOLIDAY CELEBRATIONS— A FINAL NOTE FIGURE 26–8
Set up holiday art or decorating activities during regular free choice or activity time.
Before leaving the topic of developmentally appropriate celebrations in the curriculum, a final note on these events is in order. This final note constitutes a reminder
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Check off as many of these as apply to your classroom: ______ Games, toys, art, and music reflect the diverse cultures of the group. ______ Many books are on the shelves that reflect all the cultures of children in the group. ______ Pictures of children and their families are posted so all can see them. ______ Food for snacks and meals on a daily basis include foods that are similar to what children and families eat at home. ______ Cooking utensils, empty food containers, and articles of clothing in the dramatic play area come from or reflect those in children’s homes. ______ Dolls in the housekeeping corner reflect the cultures of the children in the group. ______ Children are addressed in their home language. ______ Guests are invited to the classroom and trips are taken that are culturally and linguistically relevant to the children. ______ The curriculum integrates the wisdom and knowledge of the cultures in the group. ______ Families and children are encouraged to maintain their native languages and cultures. FIGURE 26–9
Beyond the holiday—Your curriculum reflects a multicultural approach when. . .
to maintain a balance in your approach to holidays. Maintaining a balance means that activities about a holiday should never be the child’s first introduction to or last experience with a cultural group. Children must first have an understanding of who people are and how they live their daily lives so they can build a context on which to really understand a celebration. Without this context, information about a holiday may be too different from their own experience and too difficult to understand. As a result, children may form stereotypes about the “strange” people who celebrate this “different” holiday (Bisson, 1997). In all holiday experiences, focus on the feelings people have when they celebrate their special holiday or engage in a family tradition. Feelings are real for young children. Feelings are something they can connect to and identify with, especially if it’s a feeling they’ve had
before. In all developmentally appropriate holiday activities, it is important not to extract external “bits and pieces” of a holiday (such as food or dress) without the feeling component. Just as important to the success of these celebrations is doing your research. If you take the time to really research the celebration, you will not run the risk of implementing activities from other culture’s holidays inappropriately. Doing your research will avoid your giving children any misinformation or perpetuating stereotypes. If you are unsure of any aspect of a culture’s holiday, ask the people in that community for information. A visit to the communities of people who celebrate the holiday can provide you with a great deal of information. Of course, you can use the library and cultural centers for further information as well. Chapter 27, which concludes Section 7, contains lists of children’s books, as well as resource books for adults on multicultural, anti-bias celebrations.
SUMMARY Understanding developmentally appropriate practice and applying this knowledge to planning holiday activities is the key to successful holiday activities in the curriculum. Yet, many times teachers fall into a “holiday trap” and lose sight of what they know about child development and practice. When considering incorporating holiday activities for young children in the curriculum, the following are basic developmental characteristics of young children which need to be considered. ■ Very young children learn through actions and need concrete, hands-on experiences. ■ Young children are egocentric and believe everyone shares their thoughts and experiences. ■ Older children can begin to understand more abstract concepts. There is a developmental shift for children around 5–7 years when children begin to have a wider and more flexible understanding of different people and different rituals. Because their minds can handle a little bit more abstract thinking, teachers are able to introduce concepts that are more complex than in the preschool and kindergarten years. An early childhood curriculum with developmentally appropriate holidays will not necessarily include routine celebrations of all national holidays such as Thanksgiving, Christmas, Easter, or Mother’s Day. These holidays represent the cultural/religious way of life and view of history of a large part of the population
CHAPTER 26 Developmentally Appropriate Celebrations
of the U.S.—but not all of it. Many people do not consider these holidays central to their cultural or religious group’s way of life. Not every holiday has to mean a party. Instead, it may be more appropriate to read a book about a holiday, to discuss it at circle time, or even to have family members in to talk about how they celebrate at home. Schedule holiday activities in a way that allows you to follow your normal routine as much as possible. Holiday activities that last for more than a day or two or that include a lot of sugary snacks, large parties where families visit and stay too long, or coaching children to memorize songs for a program can all be too much for young children. Other ways to approach holidays in a developmentally appropriate practice include avoiding holidays that frighten children, de-centering holidays in the curriculum, and concentrating on process-oriented, openended creative activities. The focus of holidays can be altered so that they are more developmentally appropriate for young children. You can pick and choose aspects of a holiday to focus on without losing the meaning of a holiday. This can be useful in making activities developmentally appropriate, as well as emphasizing the most meaningful parts of holidays and avoiding commercialism and materialism. Just as teachers design curriculum on present learning, new cultural celebrations can be introduced by associating them with those already familiar to young children. One way to make the connection for children is to focus on the underlying themes that many holidays have in common, such as festivals of light or liberation. Maintaining a balance in your approach to including holidays in the curriculum is most important. Maintaining a balance means that activities about a holiday should never be the child’s first introduction to or last experience with a cultural group. Children must first have an understanding of who people are and how they live their daily lives so they can build a context on which to really understand a holiday. Without this context, information about a holiday may be too different from their own experience and too difficult to understand. Thus, it becomes a meaningless experience for children.
B.
C.
D.
E.
F.
LEARNING ACTIVITIES G. A. Choose a standard, national holiday, for example, Thanksgiving. List the various groups involved in this holiday. (Example, Native American men, women, and children, Pilgrim men, women, and children). What would each group’s feelings be about this event? Would each group be “thankful”?
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Why or why not? What does this tell you about this “mainstream” holiday? How appropriate is this holiday for young children? Be sure to use your knowledge of development in your answer. Continue the approach to holidays in A. above. This time, focus on Columbus Day. What would the point of view on this holiday be for Native Americans, Italian Americans, and Jewish people? After reflecting on the views of all of these people, what effect (if any) does this exercise have on your using Columbus Day in your curriculum? Why is it necessary to work through these issues for ourselves, with our colleagues, and with the families and communities where we live and work? A visitor from space lands on earth on October 31st. What would this visitor think about us? What would our view of senior women seem to be in this visitor’s eyes? What would our use of the color black reflect to our visitor? Describe how you could change this visitor’s perception on his October 31st visit. Out of context (as in C. above), Halloween reveals little about our strengths and struggles as people. This is like using only holidays to teach children about other cultures. With this in mind, choose a “mainstream” holiday. Make a lesson plan for this holiday that would help children get a better picture of this particular holiday and the cultures involved in it. Include in your lesson plan: age(s) of children, ethnic and cultural make-up of group, goals, related developmentally appropriate activities, resources and individual/groups you would involve in your plan. Your program has a high population of a particular ethnic group (you can choose which group). The parents of the children in this group want to eliminate all holiday celebrations not related to their ethnic group. Write out what you would say to these parents, using information from this chapter and Chapter 24. Have your colleagues critique your reply. Rewrite your reply to include these comments, if applicable. Using the Internet, do an on-line search for nonbiased, multicultural holiday activities for children. (See Chapter 27 for several suggested Web sites.) Print out your search results. Share your results with the class. Evaluate these activities for stereotypes, bias, and developmental appropriateness. Choose one of the holiday related themes on page 456. Write a lesson plan for a group of 4-year-old children using this theme. Include in your plan: goals, developmentally appropriate related activities, resources, and individual/groups to be involved in your planning. Share your plan with your colleagues for their input.
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H. Using the same theme as G., design a lesson plan for a group of fourth graders. Include the same items in your plan. Share your plan with your colleagues for their input. I. Discuss the differences in the lesson plans in G. for 4-year-olds and in H. for fourth graders. What are the main differences in these two lesson plans? What are the similarities (if any) in these plans? J. Your group of children are currently very interested in plants and animals. They are at present fascinated by their ant farm and measuring their growing seedlings. Your supervisor reminds you it’s time to begin making Christmas hand-prints as gifts for parents. Does it make sense to stop your curriculum and focus on a holiday in this manner? Why or why not? Explain how you could incorporate aspects of a holiday into your curriculum without disturbing the balance in your curriculum. Include specific activities for the art, block, housekeeping, book, and music centers. Be sure to specify the age of the children in your group, ethnic and cultural group, and type of center. K. Use an actual center for this activity, or go back to your own early childhood memories. Evaluate holiday art activities at this center. Evaluate the materials for appropriateness in celebrating this holiday. Who really did the art work? Were the holiday activities too hard for the children to complete themselves? Did they all look the same? Did the holiday activities help develop children’s creativity and use of materials or did they reflect an adult’s idea of holiday decorations? L. Using the activities you listed in K., redesign those activities which were stereotypical, developmentally inappropriate, and biased. If applicable, describe how you would achieve a better balance in the curriculum for this group of children.
CHAPTER REVIEW 1. Why is the celebration of Thanksgiving developmentally inappropriate for young children, especially 3 to 5-year-olds? 2. What are the basic developmental characteristics of young children that need to be considered when incorporating holidays in the curriculum? 3. What is the developmental shift that occurs around the ages of 5 to 7 years and how does this relate to planning holiday activities? 4. Why do many developmentally appropriate early childhood programs not include all national holidays?
5. When would it be more appropriate to discuss a holiday than to celebrate it? 6. Why is it important not to make holidays the center of your curriculum? 7. How can you alter holiday celebrations to fit developmentally appropriate practice? 8. How can you make Thanksgiving more meaningful for young children? 9. How can you alter Valentine’s Day to make it more meaningful for young children? 10. How can you alter Father’s and Mother’s Day to make them more meaningful for young children? 11. How can you connect unfamiliar holidays to familiar ones for young children? 12. Why should your curriculum include developmentally appropriate holiday activities in the room as well in the curriculum year round? 13. Why is it important to maintain balance in your approach to holidays in the curriculum? 14. Why is it important to concentrate on process-oriented, open-ended creative activities for children? 15. What is the main ingredient for successful holiday activities in the curriculum?
REFERENCES Bisson, J. (1997). Celebrate! An anti-bias guide to enjoying holidays in early childhood programs. St. Paul, MN: Redleaf. Booze, R. (1992). Incorporating the principles of Kwanzaa into your daily curriculum: A handbook for teachers of young children. Unpublished masters thesis. Pasadena, CA: Pacific Oaks College. Bredekamp, S., & Copple, C. (Eds.). (1997). Developmentally appropriate practice in early childhood programs. (Rev. ed.). Washington, DC: NAEYC. Derman-Sparks, L. (1999). Markers of multicultural/antibias education. Young Children, 54(5), 43. Madrazo, G. M., Jr. (1999, Feb.). So, how does a multicultural classroom look? Sound? Science and Children, 7(2), 6–7.
ADDITIONAL READINGS (Also see Chapter 27) Bowman, B. T., & Scott, F. M. (1994). Understanding development in a cultural context: The challenge for teachers. In B. L. Mallory & R. S. New (Eds.), Diversity and developmentally appropriate practice, (pp. 119–34). New York: Teachers College Press. Cronin, S. L., Derman-Sparks, L., Henry, S., & Olatunji, C. (1998). Future vision, present work: Learning from the
CHAPTER 26 Developmentally Appropriate Celebrations
culturally relevant anti-bias leadership project. St. Paul, MN: Redleaf. Delpit, L. L. (1995). Other people’s children: Cultural conflict in the classroom. New York: New Press. Dorris, M. (1978). Why I’m not thankful for Thanksgiving. Interracial Books for Children Bulletin, 6–9. Dimidjian, V. J. (1989, Sept.) Holidays, holy days, and wholly dazed: Approaches to special days. Young Children, 70–75. Evans, D. (1996, Dec.). I won’t lie about Santa. Parents, 32. Gonzalez-Mena, J. (1993). Multicultural issues in child care. Mountain View, CA: Mayfield Publishing Company. Grant, C. (Ed.). (1998). Multicultural research: Race, class, gender and sexual orientation. Hamden, CT: Falmer Press. Hyun, E. (1998). Making sense of developmentally and culturally appropriate practice (DCAP) in early childhood education. New York: Peter Lang. Imber-Black, E., & Roberts, J. (1992). Rituals for our times: Celebrating, healing and changing our lives and our relationships. New York: HarperCollins. Kendall, F. E. (1996). Diversity in the classroom: New approaches to the education of young children (2nd ed.). New York: Teacher’s College Press. Neubert, K., & Jones, E. (1998). Creating a culturally relevant holiday curriculum: A negotiation. Young Children, 53(5), 14–19.
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Ramsey, P. (1989, Sept.). Beyond ten little Indians and turkeys. Young Children, 28–51. Santino, J. (1995). All around the year: Holidays and celebrations in American life. Chicago: University of Illinois Press. Slapin, B., & Seale, D. (1987). Through Indian eyes: The native experience in books for children. Philadelpha, PA: New Society Publishers. Stephens, K. (1995, Nov./Dec.). Preventing the holiday crazies. First Teacher, 8–9. Wardle, F. (1990). Bunny ears and cupcakes for all: Are parties developmentally appropriate? Child Care Information Exchange, 39–41. Yolen, J. (1992). Encounter. New York: Harcourt Brace Jovanovich. Zinn, H. (1995). A people’s history of the United States: 1492 to present, revised and updated. New York: HarperCollins.
For additional creative activity resources, visit our Web site at www.EarlyChildEd.delmar.com.
RESOURCES FOR CELEBRATIONS OBJECTIVES After studying this chapter, you should be able to: 1. Choose appropriate, non-biased children’s books for use in holiday celebrations. 2. Use appropriate sources on the Internet for selecting children’s books.
C
hapter 27 has been designed as a resource chapter. It is meant to be used in planning for holidays in your early childhood curriculum. For this reason, it has a different organization than other chapters in this book. Instead of learning and activity and chapter review sections, the entire chapter contains annotated lists of books for children and teachers. These are resources to be used in curriculum planning.
CHILDREN’S BOOKS Children’s books have been selected on the following criteria: (1) They contain accurate, sensitive and reflective presentations of people from many ethnic and cultural groups; (2) they are free of stereotypes; and (3) they are good children’s literature. Most of these books are set in the present-day time. But if the story does
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happen some years ago, the pictures and experiences are familiar enough so that children are able to relate to them. When choosing from the recommended books, you will want to choose books that reflect the celebrations of holidays that the children, families, and staff in your program celebrate as well as how they celebrate them. The books should also help meet your program’s holiday goals and follow your holiday policy. You will note that there is not an equal balance of books for all holidays. There are many books based on some holidays and a few or none about others. Keep this in mind as you review these lists. Also keep in mind that this is just a starting point for your use and not a list of all available books. Consult your professional library, early childhood organization, and other teachers for more ideas on appropriate sources. You may also want to use the Internet section in this chapter for
CHAPTER 27 Resources for Celebrations
FIGURE 27–2 FIGURE 27–1
Provide children books that contain non-stereotyped, non-biased, cultural representations.
more ideas on searching for appropriate resources for your group. The book lists in this chapter are divided up by age groupings of preschool, kindergarten through grade three, and grades four and five. However, your knowledge of children’s abilities and developmental levels should be your guide on any book or other resource selection. In each listing, the topic of the book is noted if it is not obvious from the book’s title.
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Include foods from different ethnic and cultural groups on a regular basis.
“On-Lion” for Kids—this is a Web site put together by the New York Public Library. Its name was inspired by the two great stone lions that guard the library system’s flagship building. This site offers a whole range of choices, including recommended reading lists built around different celebrations of the year (such as Hispanic Heritage Month, Thanksgiving, and Kwanzaa). You will also find information on authors, titles, and favorite characters as well as links to science and technology Web sites. The address is: www. nypl.org/branch/kids/
The New Mexico State University Library—
USING THE INTERNET FOR RESOURCES The Internet is a vast place to search for information. However, you will want to venture out there to get a few other ideas for appropriate books for young children on holiday celebrations. To help you, here are some suggestions where to begin your exploration.
The Children’s Literature Web Guide—This is an excellent to begin your search, since it has links to other sites specifically devoted to children’s literature. It also has discussion boards and quick reference lists of award-winning and best-selling books for children. You’ll also find links to other resources for parents, teachers, and even writers and illustrators. Their address is: www.acs.ucalgary.ca/~dkbrown/
This is a children’s literature “gopher” site. It means that it isn’t much to look at—a gopher site can be accessed by most Web browsers, but unlike a Web site, it doesn’t usually contain pictures or images. However, the information in this “gopher” site is invaluable for anyone interested in children’s literature. You can access back issues of book reviews from selected children’s literature journals and find digitized versions of some of the classic texts in children’s fiction. These fulllength versions of texts can be printed out to be read to children, chapter by chapter. The address is: gopher: //lib.nmsu.edu:70/11/.subjects/Education/.childlit
Fairrosa Cyber Library—This is an online collection of articles, book reviews, archives of discussion group posts, information about authors, and electronic texts of classic children’s books. The site is oriented toward parents and teachers, not children. This is a
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FIGURE 27–3
Too much excitement can overwhelm children.
very comprehensive site. The address is: www.users. interport.net/~fairrosa/
Youth Division of the Internet Public Library—This site is organized by the Dewey decimal system, so children can use this site to start to learn how to find other books even as they explore the different resources and links on this simple but excellent site. At its heart, it’s a directory of links to other Web sites, many of them book-related, but the descriptions are so child-friendly, they will love to use this site. The address is: www.ipl.org/youth/ Don’t forget to check with your local and national professional groups for their web sites. You will find up-to-date information on developmentally appropriate materials and practice from these sites.
The Barnes and Noble Web site—Here you will find a section titled, “The Reader’s Catalog”. This section provides recommendations for both adult and children’s books on holidays and many other topics. This catalog of more than 40,000 books has been compiled by the editors and friends of the New York Review of Books. You can browse in a number of categories or search for a specific title. You can search by age group and by subject as well. The address is: www.barnesandnoble.com. Whether you use the book lists which follow or these Internet sources, enjoy the process of searching for just the right literature for your special group of children. The joy of seeing children’s faces when they can really relate to the book you are reading to them is reward enough for the time it takes to search out appropriate literature. Only you can know which of the following resources are appropriate for your unique situation.
FIGURE 27–4
The everyday routine is basic to young children. Holiday celebrations should not disturb these safe routines.
BOOKS FOR CHILDREN PRESCHOOL Aldana, P. (1999). Senora Reganona: A Mexican bedtime story. Berkeley, CA: Publishers Group West. Aliki. (1995). Mis cinco sentidos (My five senses). New York: Harper Arco Iris. Bilingual Spanish/English. Argent, K. (1991). Happy birthday, wombat! New York: Joy Street. Benjamin, C. (1994). Sommos medicos. (We are doctors). Hauppauge, NY: Baron’s. Benjamin, C. (1995). Somos cuidadores del zoologico. (We are zookeepers). Hauppauge, NY: Barron’s. Blue, R. (1997). Good Yontif: A picture book of the jewish year. Brookfield, CT: The Millbrook Press. Bourgeois, P. (1998). Franklin’s Christmas gift. New York: Scholastic. Bourgeois, P. (1998). Franklin’s Valentines. New York: Scholastic. Bourgeois, P. (1999). Franklin’s Halloween. Topeka, KS: Econo-Clad Books. Bourgeois, P. (1999). Franklin Y El Regalo de Navidad. New York: Lectorum Publications. (Spanish version of Franklin and the Christmas Gift) Bradman, T. (1990). This little baby. New York: Putnam. (single-parent family) Brillhart, J. (1995). When daddy came to school. Morton Grove, IL: Whitman. (Birthday) Brown, M. W. (1995). Buenos noches, luna. New York: Harper Arco Iris. (Spanish ed. of Goodnight, Moon) Bunnett, R. (1993). Friends in the park. New York: Checkerboard. (Multi-ethnic preschoolers, playing together, various physical disabilities portrayed)
CHAPTER 27 Resources for Celebrations
Bunnett, R. (1996). El gran granero rojo. New York: Harper Arco Iris. (Spanish version of The big red barn) Cameron, A. (1990). Julian, dream doctor. New York: Random House. (African-American Father’s birthday) Chocolate, D. (1995). On the day I was born. New York: Scholastic. (African American Birthday) Cooke, T. (1994). So much. London, England: Candlewick. (African-American birthday) Crews, D. (1998). Night at the fair. New York: Greenwillow. (Carnival/fair people) DePaola, T. (1991). My first chanukkah. New York: Putnam. DePaola, T. (1991). My first easter. New York: Putnam. DePaola, T. (1991). My first passover. New York: Putnam. DePaola, T. (1992). My first thanksgiving. New York: Putnam. DeSpain, P. (reteller). (1998). The dancing turtle: A folktale from Brazil. Little Rock, AR: August House. Dunn, P. (1993). Los animales domesticos. New York: Random House. (Spanish word for common pets) Emberley, R. (1990). My house—Mi casa: A book in two languages—Un libro in dos lenguas. Boston: Little Brown. (Basic words in Spanish and English) Emberley, R. (1990). Taking a walk—caminando: A book in two languages—Un libro in dos lenguas. Boston: Little Brown. (Basic words in Spanish and English) Feldman, E. B. (1996). Birthdays! Celebrating life around the world. Moraga, CA: Bridgewater. Forest, H. (reteller). (1998). Stone soup. Little Rock, AR: August House Little Folk Books. (Multi-ethnic retelling of Stone Soup) Frasier, D. (1991). On the day you were born. Orlando: Harcourt Brace & Co. (Earth celebrates birthdays) Guarino, D. (1997). Tu mama es una llama? New York: Scholastic. (Your mama is a llama?) Haskins, J., & Kathleen, B. (1993). African beginnings. New York: Lothrop, Lee & Shepard. (African and African-American information) Hill, E. (1992). Spot va al Parque. New York: Putnam. (Spanish version of Spot goes to the park) Hill, E. (1994). El libro grande de Spot—Colores, formas y numeros. New York: Putnam. (Spanish version of Spot’s big book of colors, shapes and numbers) Hill, E. (1995). Spot’s first Christmas. New York: Putnam. Hill, E. (1995). Spot hace un pastel. New York: Putnam. (Spanish version of Spot bakes a cake) Hill, E. (1995). Spot va a una fiesta. New York: Putnam. (Spanish version of Spot goes to a party) Howard, J. R. (1996). Cuando tengo sueno. (When I am Sleepy). New York: Dutton. Hughes, S. (1998). Alfie and the birthday surprise. New York: Lothrop, Lee & Shepard. Imai, M. (1995). Sebastian’s trumpet. London, England: Candlewick. (Birthday) Janovitz, M. (1996). Es hora? (Is it bedtime?). Miami, FL: Ediciones Norte-Sud. Kahn, K. J. (1986). The Purim parade. Rockville, MD: KarBen Copies. (Board book on Purim)
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Kahn, K. J. (1991). The shofar called us. Rockville, MD: Kar-Ben Copies. (Board book on judaism) Kessler, E., & Kessler, L. (1994). Is there a penguin at your party? New York: Simon & Schuster. (Birthday) Kimmelman, L. (1992). Hanukkah lights! Hanukkah lights? New York: HarperCollins. Knight, M. B. (1994). Welcoming babies. Gardiner, ME: Tilbury House. (Welcoming babies in different cultures) Kopper, L. (1993). Peek-a-boo baby. New York: Grosset. (Multiracial toddlers at play) Kunin, C. (1993). My Hanukkah alphabet. New York: Golden Books. Kunin, C. (1993). My Hanukkah book of numbers. New York: Golden Books. Leunn, N. (1998). A gift for Abuelita. Flagstaff, AZ: Northland. (Aunt’s birthday—Latino family) Leventhal, D. (1998). What is your language? New York: Puffin Books. (Words in Swahili, Chinese, Inuktitut, and Arabic) Lewin, T. (1998). The storyteller. New York: Lothrop, Lee & Shepard Books. (Moroccan tale) Linden, A. M. (1992). One smiling grandma. New York: Penguin Books. (A Caribbean counting book) MacDonald, M. R. (1998). The girl who wore too much: A folktale from Thailand. Little Rock, AR: August House Little Folk books. MacKinnon, D. (1995). My world of Spanish words. Hauppauge, NY: Barrons. (Simple Spanish words) Manushkin, F. (1995). The matzah that papa brought home. New York: Scholastic. (Jewish family theme) McKenley, Y. (1995). A Taste of the Caribbean. Fresno, CA: Thomson. (Caribbean recipes) McMillan, B. (1994). Sense surprise: A guessing game for the five senses. New York: Scholastic. (Caribbean island of Culebra) McMillan, B. (1991). Play day: A book of terse verse. New York: Holiday House. (Multicultural toddlers at play) Miller, M. (1991). My birthday party. New York: HarperCollins. (Multi-ethnic birthday party) Miller, M. (1991). Playtime. New York: HarperCollins. (Multi-ethnic toddlers at play) Mollel, T. M. (1998). Dume’s roar. Buffalo, NY: Stoddart Kids. (African Fables) Pfister, M. (1996). El pez arco iris. Miami, FL: Ediciones Norte-Sud. (Spanish version of The rainbow fish) Reiser, L. (1998). Tortillas and lullabies/Tortillas y cancioncitas. New York: Greeenwillow. Ricklen, N. (1995). Baby’s Playtime. New York: Little Simon. (Multiracial, toddler’s day) Rockwell, A. (1989). Bear child’s book of special days. New York: Dutton. (Multi-ethnic holidays) Roe, E. (1991). Con Mi hermano/With my brother. Minneapolis, MN: Bradbury. (Hispanic brothers) Schanzer, R. (1991). In the Synagogue. Rockville, MD: KarBen Copies. (Judaism) Schanzer, R. (1992). My first Jewish word book. Rockville, MD: Kar-Ben Copies.
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FIGURE 27–5
Puzzles and games in the program need to represent people and things from many cultures.
Shevett, A., & Shevett, S. (1993). Las primeras palabras. New York: Random House. (Beginning words in Spanish) Shirotani, H. (1992). Let’s eat/Vamos a comer. New York: Simon & Schuster. (Bilingual Spanish-English) Shirotani, H. (1992). Let’s Play/Vamos a jugar. New York: Simon & Schuster. (Bilingual Spanish-English) Shirotani, H. (1992). Let’s take a walk/Vamos a caminar. New York: Simon & Schuster. (Bilingual SpanishEnglish) Shirotani, H. (1992). What color?/Que color? New York: Simon & Schuster. (Bilingual Spanish-English) Shott, S. (1992). El Mundo del bebe: Mi primero libro de palabras y imagenes. New York: Dutton. (Spanish version of Baby’s world: My first book of words and pictures) Siegan-Smith, N. (1996). Welcome to the world: A celebration of birth and babies from many cultures. New York: Orchard Books. Skorpen, L. M., & Cepeda, J. (1999). We were tired of living in a house. New York: Putnam. (Different kinds of homes) Spanner, H. (1995). Mi libro grande de imagenes y palabras. New York: Lodestar. (Book of simple words and pictures of everyday objects) Springer, S. (1991). Let’s make latkes. Rockville, MD: KarBen Copies. (Jewish foods)
KINDERGARTEN–GRADE 3 Aardema, V. (1981). Bringing the rain to Kapiti Plain. New York: Penguin. (African plains) Aardema, V. (1998). Why mosquitoes buzz in people’s ears: A West African tale. New York: Dial.
Ada, A. F. (2000). Under the royal palms: A childhood in Cuba. New York: Atheneum. (Girl’s story of growing up in Cuba, cultural diversity, history, and celebrations) Alarcón, F. X. (2000). From the bellybutton of the moon and other summer poems/ Del ombligo de la luna y otros poemas de verano. Chicago: Children’s Book Press. (Bilingual Spanish/English poetry) Aliki. (1989). My five senses. Ann Arbor, MI: Crowell. (Multi-ethnic images) Aliki. (1991). Christmas tree memories. New York: HarperCollins. Aliki. (1992). I’m growing! New York: HarperCollins. (Hispanic boy grows up; other ethnic groups represented) Amado, E. (1999). Barrilete: A kite for the Day of the Dead. Berkeley, CA: Publishers Group West. (Day of the Dead) Ancona, G. (1993). Pablo remembers: The fiesta of the Day of the Dead. New York: Lothrop, Lee & Shepard. Ancona, G. (1993). Powwow. New York: Harcourt Brace & Co. (Photo-essay on Pan-Indian celebration /powwow on Crow Reservation, Montana) Ancona, G. (1994). The pinata maker/El pinatero. Orlando, FL: Harcourt Brace. (Bilingual, Southern Mexican craftsman from Ejutia de Crespo) Ancona, G. (1995). Fiesta U.S.A. New York: Lodestar. (Multicultural festivals) Ancona, G. (2000). Barrio: Jose’s neighborhood. New York: Harcourt Brace & Co. (One year in life of Mexican-American boy from El Barrio, in the Mission District of San Francisco/cultural diversity, history, and celebrations) Ashley, J. (1991). Riddles about Easter. Parsippany, NJ: Silver Burdette. Baer, E. (1990). This is the way we go to school. New York: Scholastic. (Multi-ethnic schools) Bateman, T. (1998). Leprechaun gold. New York: Holiday House. (St. Patrick’s Day) Baxter, N. (1996). Homes. Chicago: Children’s Press. (Multicultural types of homes) Bennett, J. (1999). (compiler). Christmas poems. Oxford, England: Oxford Univ. Press. Bernard, E. (1996). Happy New Year! New York: Lodestar. (New Year’s celebrations in many cultures) Bishop, C. H. (1996). The five Chinese brothers. New York: Coward. (Chinese folktale) Blanco, A. (1998). Angel’s kite/La estrella de Angel. Chicago: Children’s Press. (Bilingual book /kite maker) Blue, R. (1997). Good Yontif: A Picture book of the Jewish year. Brookfield, CT: The Millbrook Press. Blos, J. W. (1987). Old Henry. New York: Morrow. (Being “different”) Bowden, J. (1994). Happy birthday: A pop-up treasury of world birthday legend and lore. Boston: Clarion. Brown, M. W. (1995). Baby Jesus like my brother. East Orange, NJ: Just Us Books. (African-American brother & sister, Christmas) Brown, T. (1986). Hello Amigos! New York: Scholastic. (Multicultural friendship)
CHAPTER 27 Resources for Celebrations
Bunnett, R. (1996). Friends at school. New York: Scholastic. (Friends of different cultures) Bunting, E. (1988). How many days to America? A Thanksgiving story. New York: Clarion Books. (Boat people/refugees from the Caribbean) Bunting, E. (1999). I have an olive tree. New York: Farrar. (Greek culture) Bunting, E., & Soentpiet, C. K. (1998). So far from the sea. New York: Clarion. (General multicultural) Caines, J. (1991). Just us women. New York: Scholastic. (Female equity) Carling, A. L. (1998). Mama and Papa have a store. New York: Dial. (Young child of chinese family who emigrates to Guatemala. Guatemalan/Spanish/Chinese cultures) Carlson, L. M. (1998). Sol a sol: Bilingual poems. New York: Holt. Castaneda, O. S. (1993). Abuela’s weave. New York: Lee, Low & Shepard. (Guatemala, Central America) Chinn, K. (1995). Sam and the lucky money. New York: Lee & Low Books. (Chinese new year) Chocolate, D., & Newton, M. (1992). My first Kwanzaa book. New York: Cartwheel. Chocolate, D., & Newton, M. (1994). Imani in the belly. Moraga, CA: Bridgewater. (African/Swahili folklore) Chocolate, D. (1995). On the day I was born. New York: Cartwheel. (African-American family) Chocolate, D. (1996). Kente colors. New York: Walker. (Traditional apparel of Ashanti and Ewe tribes in West Africa) Choi, S. N. (1997). The best older sister. New York: Delacorte. (Korean American—first birthday) Chorao, K. (1991). Baby’s Christmas treasury. New York: Random House. (Multicultural) Cobb, V. (1989). Feeding yourself. Philadelphia, PA: Lippincott. (Multicultural, food) Cohen, B. (1994). Make a wish. New York: Doubleday. (Russian American Birthday and Passover celebrations) Coles, R. (1995). The story of Ruby Bridges. New York: Scholastic. (Photo-essay of southern U.S.) Corwin, J. H. (1995). Harvest festivals around the world. Parsippany, NJ: Messner. (Multicultural) Cronin, G. L. (1995). Two birthdays for Beth. Spring Hill, FL: Perspectives. (African American, single-parent family) Curtis, J. L. (1997). Tell me again about the night I was born. New York: HarperCollins. (adoption) Dartez, C. C. (1993). Jenny Giraffe and the streetcar party. New York: Pelican Books. (New Orleans birthday) Davol, M. W. (1997). The paper dragon. New York: Atheneum. (Chinese folktale, New Year’s) deMontano, M. K. (1998). Coyote in love with a star. Washington, DC: National Museum of the American Indian, Smithsonian Institution. (Native American legends) dePaola, T. (1975). Strega Nona. New York: Simon & Schuster. (Magic tale, Cabria, Southern Italy)
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dePaola, T. (1983). The legend of the blue bonnet. New York: Putnam. (Comanche legend, Texas) Denim, S. (1995). The dumb bunnies’ Easter. St. Paul, MN: Blue Sky. (Humorous/Easter) Deshpande, C. (1994). Diwali. London, England: A&C Black Publishers. (Children’s home and school preparations for Diwali, Indian Festival of lights) Dixon, A. (1996). Merry birthday, Nora Noel. Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans. (Christmas birthday) Dooley, N. (1991). Everybody cooks rice. New York: Scholastic. (Multicultural foods) Dorros, A. (1990). Me and my shadow. New York: Scholastic (Ethnically diverse group of children explain shadows) Dorros, A. (1991). Abuela. New York: Dutton. (Hispanic Americans, New York City, intergenerational friendship) Dorros, A. (1991) Por fin es carnaval. New York: Dutton. (Spanish version of Tonight is Carnival) Dorros, A. (1991). Tonight is carnival. New York: Dutton. (Peruvian village, ordinary life, festival) Dorros, A. (1993). Radio man/Don radio: A Story in English and Spanish/Un cuento e ingles y espanol. New York: HarperCollins. (Migrant, Mexican Americans— bilingual text) Dorros, A. (1995). Abuela (Spanish version of Abuela). New York: Dutton. (New York City, intergenerational friendship, Hispanic Americans) Dorros, A. (1995). Isla. New York: Dutton. (Second book about Abuela/Caribbean Islands, and island life/ Hispanic-Americans) Dorros, A. (1995). La isla. New York: Dutton. (Spanish version of Isla/Caribbean Islands and island life/ Hispanic-Americans) Drucker, M. (1992). A Jewish holiday ABC. San Diego: Gulliver. Dunbar, P. L. (1999). Jump back, honey: The Poems of Paul Laurence Dunbar. New York: Hyperion. (African American poetry) El-Moslimany, A. (1994). Zaki’s Ramadan fast. Seattle, WA: Amica Publishing House. Elya, S. M. (1998). Say hola to Spanish. New York: Scholastic. (Beginning Spanish book) Ets, M. H., & Labastida, A. (1959). Nine days to Christmas. New York: Penguin. (Mexican culture) Evans, D. (1997). Weird pet poems. New York: Simon & Schuster. (Birthday, Hispanic Americans) Fang, S. C. (1997). Happy birthday to you. Hauppague, NY: Barron’s. (Child with cancer) Fellows, R. N. (1998). A lei for Tutu. Morton Grove, IL: Albert Whitman. (Hawaiian culture) Fisher, A. (1997). The story of Easter. New York: Harper Collins. Flournoy, V. (1996). The patchwork quilt. New York: Scholastic. (General multicultural). Ford, J. G. (1997). K is for Kwanzaa: A Kwanzaa alphabet book. New York: Cartwheel.
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Fradin, D. B. (1990). Christmas. Springfield, NJ: Enslow Best Holiday Series. (General multicultural) Fradin, D. B. (1990). Halloween. Springfield, NJ: Enslow Best Holiday Series. Fradin, D. B. (1990) Hanukkah. Springfield, NJ: Enslow Best Holiday Series. Fradin, D. B. (1990). Lincoln’s birthday. Springfield, NJ: Enslow Best Holiday Series. Fradin, D. B. (1990). Thanksgiving day. Springfield, NJ: Enslow Best Holiday Series. Fradin, D. B. (1990). Washington’s birthday. Springfield, NJ: Enslow Best Holiday Series. Fradin, D. B. (1991). Columbus day. Springfield, NJ: Enslow Best Holiday Series. (Biographical/Columbus) Freeman, D. R. (1992). St. Patrick’s day. Springfield, NJ: Enslow Best Holiday Series. Freeman, D. R., & Macmillan, D. M. (1992). Kwanzaa. Springfield, NJ: Enslow Best Holiday Series. Garza, C. L. (2000). Magic windows: Cut-paper art and stories. Chicago: Children’s Book Press. (Bilingual Spanish/English /Mexican traditional folk art of paper picado, cut-paper/family heritage/cultures). Gellman, E. (1992). Jeremy’s dreidl. Rockville, MD: KarBen Copies. (Hanukkah dreidl for blind father) George, J. C. (1993). The first Thanksgiving. New York: Philomel. Geringer, L. (1992). Yours ‘til the ice cracks: A book of Valentines. New York: HarperCollins. (Humorous valentines) Ghazi, S. H. (1996). Ramadan. New York: Holiday House. (Islamic family celebrates month of Ramadan) Gibbons, G. (1994). St. Patrick’s day. New York: Holiday House. Gibbons, G. (1998). YIPEE-YAY! A book about cowboys and cowgirls. Toronto, Canada: Little Brown. Goble, P. (1998). The girl who loved horses. Minneapolis, MN: Bradbury. (Native American girl) Goldin, B. D. (1990). The world’s birthday: A Rosh Hashanah story. San Diego, CA: Harcourt. (Rosh Hashanah Birthday) Gore, W. W. (1992). Earth day. Springfield, NJ: Enslow. Gore, W. W. (1993). Independence Day. Springfield, NJ: Enslow. Gore, W. W. (1993). Mother’s day. Springfield, NJ: Enslow. Greenberg, M. H. (1991). Celebrations: Our Jewish holidays. New York: Jewish Books. Greenberg, M. H. (1991). My father’s luncheonette. New York: Dutton. (Bronx, New York/Haitian Americans). Greenberg, M. H. (1994). Aunt Lilly’s laundromat. New York: Dutton. (Bronx, New York/Haitian Americans) Gregory, V. (1992). Happy burpday, Maggie McDougal! Boston: Little Brown. (Intergenerational birthday) Grier, E. (1997). Seven days of Kwanzaa: A holiday step book. New York: Viking. Gross, J. (1992). Celebrate: A book of Jewish holidays. New York: Platt Hannigan, L. (1995). Sam’s Passover. London, England: A&C Black Publishers.
Happy, E. (1994). Bailey’s birthday. Shawnee Mission, KS: MarshMedia. (Birthday in New York City) Havill, J. (1991). Jamaica Tag-Along. New York: Scholastic. Heide, F. P., & Pierce, R. H. (1998). Tio Armado. New York: Lothrop, Lee & Shepard Books. (MexicanAmerican family story) Herman, C. (1999). How Yussel caught the gefilte fish: A Shabbot story. New York: Dutton. (Jewish Sabbath, including some Jewish recipes) Herrera, J. F. (2000). Laughing out loud, I fly: Poems in English and Spanish. New York: HarperCollins. (Bilingual Spanish-English poetry, celebrating summer vacations in Mexico) Hest, A. (1995). Jamaica Louise James. London, England: Candlewick. (African-American birthday, grandmothers) Hewitt, S., & Rowe, J. (1997). The clothes we wear. Chatham, NJ: Raintree. (Multicultural/clothing in different cultures) Hickox, R. (1998). The golden sandal: A Middle Eastern Cinderella story. New York: Holiday House. Hickcox, R. (1998). Great grandmother’s treasure. New York: Dial. (Multicultural/family values) Hippely, H. (1998). Adventure on Klickitat Island. New York: Dutton. (Joy of being in a group/teamwork) Hoberman, M. A. (1991). Fathers, mothers, sisters, brothers: A collection of family poems. New York: Penguin. (Multicultural families represented) Hoffman, M. (1998). Amazing grace. New York: Dial. (African-American family) Holman, S. L. (1998). Grandpa, is everything black bad? Davis, CA: The Culture Co-op. (African heritage) Hopkins, L. B. (1992). Ring out, wild bells: Poems about holidays and seasons. San Diego, CA: Harcourt. (Multicultural holidays) Hoyt-Goldsmith, D. (1993). Cherokee summer. New York: Holiday House. (Cherokee summer story) Hoyt-Goldsmith, D. (1993). Celebrating Kwanzaa. New York: Holiday House. Hoyt-Goldsmith, D. (1998). Celebrating Chinese New Year. New York: Holiday House. Hoyt-Goldsmith, D. (1997). Potlatch: A Tsimshian Celebration. New York: Holiday House. (Tsimshian Tribe/ Alaska) Hudson, C. W., & Ford B. G. (1992). New York: Scholastic. (Multicultural/similarities and differences) Intrater, R. G. (1995). Two eyes, a nose, and a mouth. New York: Scholastic. (Multicultural similarities and differences) Intrater, R. G. (1997). Peek-a-Boo! New York: Scholastic. (Multicultural similarities and differences) Isadora, R. (1989). Ben’s trumpet. New York: Scholastic. (Jazz trumpet player)
CHAPTER 27 Resources for Celebrations
Isadora, R. (1991). At the crossroads. New York: Greenwillow. (South African family/apartheid) Isadora, R. (1992). Over the green hills. New York: Greenwillow. (South African Black family) Isadora, R. (1998). Caribbean dream. New York: Putnam. Jackson, E. (1994). The winter solstice. Brookfield, CT: Millbrook. (Facts and folklore about the shortest day of the year). Jackson, M. (1995). Clothes from many lands. Chatham, NJ: Steck-Vaughn. Jackson, M. (1995). Homes around the world. Chatham, NJ: Steck-Vaughn. Jackson, M. (1995). Market days: from market to market around the world. Moraga, CA: Bridgewater. James, S. S. (1994). The gifts of Kwanzaa. Morton Grove, IL: Albert Whitman & Co. Johnson, A. (1990). When I am old with you. New York: Orchard /Jackson. (An African American child and his relationship with his grandfather) Johnson, A. (1991). One of three. New York: Orchard/ Jackson. (Three sisters/African-American family) Johnson, A. (1992). The leaving morning. New York: Orchard/Jackson. (African-American family/events on moving day morning) Johnson, A. (1996). The aunt in our house. New York: Orchard/Jackson. (Biracial family) Johnson, A. (1997). The rolling store. New York: Orchard/Jackson. (African-American girl’s story of grandfather’s wagon-store) Johnson, C. (1995). Harold y el lapiz color morado. New York: Harper Arco Iris. (Spanish edition of Harold and the purple crayon.) Johnson, D. (1999). Sunday week. New York: Holt. (African American family) Kahn, K. J. (1989). Alef is one: A Hebrew alphabet and counting book. Rockville, MD: Kar-Ben Copies. Kalman, B. (1994). Homes around the world. New York: Crabtree. Kalman, B. (1995). Nichola’s floating home. New York: Crabtree. (Life on a houseboat ) Ketteman, H. (1992). Not yet, Yvette. Morton Grove, IL: Albert Whitman & Co. (African American birthday) Kinter, J. (reteller). (1998). King of magic, man of glass: A German folk tale. New York: Clarion. Klamath County YMCA Family Preschool. (1993). Land of many colors. New York: Scholastic. (Cultural similarities and differences) Kleven, E. (1996). !Viva! Una pinata! New York: Dutton. (Spanish/birthday) Koller, J. F. (1997). Mole and shrew all year through. New York: Random House. (Multicultural holidays) Kroll, V. (1993). A carp for Kimiko. Watertown, MA: Charlesbridge Publishing. (Japanese Children’s Day) Krulik, N. (1993). Penny and the four questions. New York: Scholastic. (The true meaning of Passover) Kroll, S. (1991). Mary McLean and the St. Patrick’s Day parade. New York: Scholastic. Krull, K. (1994). Maria Molina and the days of the dead. New York: Macmillan. (Mexican American/Days of the Dead)
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Lears, L. (1998). Ian’s walk: A story about autism. Morton’s Grove, IL: Albert Whitman. LeTord, B. (1992). Peace on Earth: A book of prayers from around the world. New York: Doubleday. Levenson, G. (1999). Pumpkin circle: The story of a garden. Berkeley, CA: Tricycle Publications. Lewin, T. (1993). Amazon boy. New York: Macmillan. (Amazon River, Rainforest, birthday) Lewin, T. (1996). Market! New York: Lothrop. Lobe, M. (1995). Christoph wants a party. Brooklyn: Kane/Miller. (Apartment/birthday party) Lopez, L. (1997). The birthday swap. New York: Lothrop & Lee. (Mexican-American birthday) Lubin, L. B. (1989). Christmas gift-bringers. New York: Lothrop & Lee. Lurie, A. (reteller). (1999). The black geese: A Baba Yaga story from Russia. New York: DK Ink. MacMillan, D. M. (1992). Martin Luther King, Jr. Day. Springfield, NJ: Enslow. MacMillan, D. M. (1997). Japanese children’s day and the Obon Festival. Springfield, NJ: Enslow. MacMillan, D. M. (1997). Mardi Gras. Springfield, NJ: Enslow. MacMillan, D. M. (1997). President’s Day. Springfield, NJ: Enslow. MacMillan, D. M. (1997). Thanksgiving Day. Springfield, NJ: Enslow. Madenski, M. (1995). In my mother’s garden. Boston: Little Brown. (Mother-daughter relationship/birthday) Manushkin, F. (1995). Starlight and candles: The joys of the Sabbath. New York: Simon & Schuster. (Jewish faith) Martin, R. (1998). The brave little parrot. New York: Putnam. (Indian continent folktale) Matthews, M. (1996). Magid Fasta for Ramadan. New York: Clarion. (eight-year old in Cairo fasts for Ramadan) Mayorga, D. (1992). David plays hide-and-seek in celebrations/Juenga al escondite in celebraciones. New York: Lerner. (Bilingual text, games) McDermott, G. (1972). Anansi the spider: A tale from the Ashanti. New York: Holt. (Ashanti tribe of West Africa) Miller, J. (1996). American Indian festivals. Chicago: Children’s Press. (Native American festivals) Miller, J. (1996). American Indian games. Chicago: Children’s Press. (Native American games) Mollel, T. M. (1998). Dume’s roar. Buffalo, NY: Stoddart. (African folk tale) Mora, F. X. (1993). Juan Tuza and the magic pouch. Fort Atkinson, WI: Highsmith. (Mexican tale) Mora, P. (1992). A birthday basket for Tia. New York: Macmillan. (Mexican American birthday) Mora, P. (1994). Listen to the desert/Oye al desierto. New York: Clarion. (Bilingual text, desert/senses) Mora, P. (1994). Pablo’s tree. New York: Macmillan. (Mexican-American birthday) Mora, P. (1994). The desert is my mother/El desierto es mi madre. New York: Piata. (Poetry, bilingual text, deserts)
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Mora, P. (1995). The race of toad and deer. New York: Orchard. (Guatemalan folktales) Mora, P. (1996). Confetti: Poems for children. New York: Lee & Lothrop. (Mexican American, Southwest poetry) Mora, P. (1996). Uno, dos, tres: one, two, three. New York: Clarion. (Bilingual text, counting, birthday) Mora, P. (1997). Tomas and the library lady. New York: Alfred A. Knopf. (Mexican-American, migrant laborer) Morris, A. (1991). Hats, hats, hats. New York: Scholastic. (Hats from around the world) Morris, A. (1995). Shoes, shoes, shoes. New York: Lee & Lothrop. (Shoes from around the world) Morris, A. (1995). Weddings. New York: Lee & Lothrop. (Weddings around the world) Morris, A. (1997). Light the candle! Bang the drum! A book of holidays around the world. New York: Dutton. Most, B. (1992). Happy holidaysaurus. New York: Harcourt. (Sourcebook on holidays around the world.) Munsch, R. (1999). Ribbon rescue. New York: Scholastic. (Mohawk wedding) Nerlove, M. (1992). Purim. Morton Grove, IL: Albert Whitman Company. (Jewish holiday) Nerlove, M. (1992). Valentine’s day. Morton Grove, IL: Albert Whitman Company. Onyefulu, I. (1998) Grandfather’s work: A traditional healer in Nigeria. Brookfield, CT: Millbrook. (African healer) Oram, H. (reteller). (1998). Baba Yaga and the Wise Doll. New York: Dutton. (Traditional Russian folktale) Osofsky, A. (1992). Dreamcatcher. New York: Orchard. (Ojibway custom/dream net for infants) Papi, L. (1994). Carnavalia!: African-Brazilian folklore and crafts. New York: Rizzoli. Pellegrini, N. (1991). Families are different. New York: Scholastic. (Different families/different cultures) Peterson, C. (1999). Century farm: One hundred years on a family farm. Honesdale, PA: Boyds Mills Press. (Farming families) Pilling, A. (collector). (1993). Realms of gold: Myths and legends from around the world. Helena, MT: Kingfisher. Pinkney, A. D. (1993). Seven candles for Kwanzaa. New York: Dial. Pinkwater, D. (1977). The big orange spot. New York: Scholastic. (Being different) Polacco, P. (1992). Mrs. Katz and Tush. New York: Bantam Doubleday. (Black history and Jewish heritage; Passover, Seder) Pomeranc, M. (1998). The American WEI. Morton Grove, IL: Albert Whitman. (Chinese culture) Porte, B. A. (1997). Surprise! Surprise! It’s Grandfather’s birthday! New York: Greenwillow. (Intergenerational story) Porter, A. P. (1991). Kwanzaa. Minneapolis, MN: Carolrhoda. Porter, C. (1994). Happy birthday, Addy!: A springtime story. Middleton, WI: Pleasant. (African-Americans, slavery)
Porter, C. (1994). Addy saves the day. Middleton, WI: Pleasant. (Slavery, African Americans, cooperation, perseverance) Poskanzer, S. C. (1991). Riddles about Passover. Parsippany, NJ: Silver. Pushker, G. T. (1991). Toby Belfer never had a Christmas tree. New York: Pelican. (Hanukkah) Prose, F. (1998). You never know: A legend of the Lamedvavniks. New York: Greenwillow. (Jewish folktale) Rahaman, V. (1997). A little salmon for witness: A story from Trinidad. New York: Lodestar. (Birthday in Trinidadian neighborhood) Ringgold, F. (1998). Aunt Harriet. Albuquerque, NM: Dragonfly. (African-American/Harriet Tubman) Ringgold, F. (1999). My dream of Martin Luther King. New York: Crown. Roessl, M. (1993). Kinaalda. Minneapolis, MN: Lerner Publications. (Navajo coming of age/birthday) Roop, P., & Roop, C. (1997). Let’s celebrate Halloween. Brookfield, CT: Millbrook. Roth, R. (1993). The sign painter’s dream. New York: Crown. (George Washington visits a grouchy sign painter in a dream.) Ruelle, K. G. (1999). The Thanksgiving beast feast. New York: Holiday House. Rylant, C. (1982). When I was young in the mountains. New York: Penguin. (Appalachian mountain life) Sáenz, B. A. (1998). A gift from Papá Diego/Un regalo de Papá Diego. Mexico City, Mexico: Cinco Puntos Press. (Mexican birthday) Say, A. (1998). Grandfather’s journey. Boston, MA: Houghton Mifflin. (Japanese American family story of immigration) Say, A. (1999). Tea with milk. Boston: Lorraine/ Houghton. (Learning to live in two cultures, Japanese Americans) Seeger, P. (1986). ABIYOYO: Pete Seeger’s storysong. New York: Macmillan. (A boy and his dad save the town from a giant) Senisi, E. B. (1994). Kindergarten kids. New York: Scholastic. (Similarities and differences in kindergarten children) Shah, I. (1998). The farmer’s wife. Los Altos, CA: Hoopoe Books. (Mid-East and Central Asian Sufi tale) Silverman, M. (1992). The glass menorah and other stories for Jewish holidays. New York: Four Winds. Slate, J. (2000). The secret stars. Homes Beach, FL: Cavendish. (Story in New Mexico, anticipation of visit from The Three Kings) Smith, J. L. (1992). Nelson in love: An Adam Joshua Valentine’s Day story. New York: HarperCollins. Soto, G., & Martinez, E. (1994). Too many tamales. New York: Scholastic. Spinelli, E. (1991). Somebody loves you, Mr. Hatch. New York: Simon & Schuster. (A lonely man with no friends receives a box of Valentine candy, delivered by mistake)
CHAPTER 27 Resources for Celebrations
Stanley, S. (1993). The rains are coming. New York: Greenwillow. (Birthday, Zaire, Africa) St. Brigid’s Head Start Children. (1992). Together we are together. New York: Scholastic. (Similarities and differences) Steptoe, J. (1991). Birthday. New York: Holt. (AfricanAmerican birthday) Steven, K. (1998). The bearer of gifts. New York: Dial (Lapland tale) Stevenson, J. (1989). Un-happy New Year, Emma! New York: Greenwillow. Stevenson, J. (1998). Mud flat April fool. New York: Greenwillow. (April Fool’s Day) Stillerman, M. (1999). Nine spoons: A Chanukkah story. Brooklyn: Hachai. Stone, S. (1994). Eid ul-Fitr. London, England: A & C Black Publishers. (Eid ul-Fitr, the three-day festival at end of Ramadan) Swamp, C. J. (1995). Giving thanks: A Native American good morning message. New York: Lee & Low Books. (Mohawk traditional giving of thanks to Mother Earth/The Thanksgiving Address) Taback, S. (2000). Joseph had a little overcoat. New York: Viking. (Based on Yiddish folk tale of a resilient tailor) Testa, M. (1996). Nine candles. Minneapolis, MN: Carolrhoda. (Prisons, prisoners, birthdays) The Cheltenham Elementary School Kindergartners. (1991). We are all alike…We are all different. New York: Scholastic. Thomas, J. R. (1994). Lights on the river. New York: Hyperion. (Migrant farm girl who longs for Mexico and her aunt) Thomas, N. (1997). Oh-oh! It’s Mama’s birthday! Morton Grove, IL: Albert Whitman. (African American family/mother-son relationship) Thomassie, T. (1998). Feliciana meets D’Loup Garoou: A Cajun tall tale. Boston: Little Brown. Tudor, T. (1996). A time to keep: The Tasha Tudor book of the holidays. New York: Simon & Schuster. (Multicultural holidays) Turner, A. (1990). Through moon and stars and night skies. New York: HarperCollins. (Adoption) Viesti, J., & Hall, D. (1996). Celebrate! In Southeast Asia. New York: Lothrop. Viesti, J., & Hall, D. (1997). Celebrate! In Central America. New York: Lothrop. Viesti, J., & Hall, D. (1997). Celebrate! In South Asia. New York: Lothrop Viorst, J. (1974). Rosie and Michael. New York: Macmillan. (Spanish friends) Waters, K., & Slovenz-Low, M. (1990). Lion dancer: Ernie Wan’s Chinese New Year. New York: Scholastic. Watson, W. (1992). Hurray for the Fourth of July! New York: Clarion. Watts, J. H. (1997). Keepers. New York: Lee & Lothrop. (African-American grandmothers/storytelling) Whitelaw, N. (1991). A beautiful pear. Morton Grove, IL: Albert Whitman Company. (Birthday, grandparents, Alzheimer’s disease)
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Williams, V. B. (1994). Algo especial para mi (Something special for me). New York: Greenwillow. (Biligual text, birthday) Winter, J. (1996). Josefina. New York: Harcourt. (Mexican folk artist) Winter, J. (1992). Klara’s new world. New York: Knopf. (Scandinavian immigrant family) Wisniewski, D. (1991). Rain player. New York: Clarion. (Mayas, Native Americans, sports) Wisniewski, D. (1992). Sundiata: Lion king of the Mali. New York: Clarion (African ruler, Mali, legends) Wisniewski, D. (1994). The wave of the sea wolf. New York: Clarion. (Fairytale of Tlingit Indians of Pacific Northwest) Wisniewski, D. (1996). Golem. New York: Clarion. (Rabbi makes giant clay man to protect the Jewish people) Woodson, J. (1990). Martin Luther King, Jr. and His Birthday. Parsippany, NJ: Silver. Yee, P. (1992). Roses sing on new snow: A delicious tale. New York: Macmillan. (Feminist story, Chinese Americans, cookery) Yee, W. H. (1995). A drop of rain. New York: Houghton. (Contemporary Asian American family picture book) Yen, C. (reteller). (1991). Why rat comes first: A story of the Chinese zodiac. Chicago: Children’s Books Press. (Chinese folktale, astrology) Yep, L. (1993). The shell woman and the king: A Chinese folktale. New York: Dial. Yep, L. (1994). The junior thunder Lord. Moraga, CA: Bridgewater. (Chinese folklore) Yep, L. (1995) The man who tricked a ghost. Moraga, CA: Bridgewater. (Chinese legend, ghost story) Yep, L. (1995). Tiger woman. Moraga, CA: Bridgewater. (Chinese folklore, folksongs, legends) Yep, L. (1997). The dragon prince: A Chinese beauty and the beast tale. New York: HarperCollins. Yep, L. (1997). The Khan’s daughter: A Mongolian folktale. New York: Scholastic.
FIGURE 27–6
Older children enjoy writing invitations to their Appreciation Day celebration.
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GRADE 4–5 Adler, D. (1995). One yellow daffodil: A Hanukkah story. New York: Harcourt Brace. Armstrong, J. (1993). Chin Yu Min and the ginger cat. New York: Crown Publishers. (Chinese tale) Baker, J. W. (1996). Why do we celebrate that? New York: Watts. (Holidays, festivals, around the world). Baker, J. W. (1990). Arbor day magic. Minneapolis, MN: Lerner. (Simple magic tricks related to Arbor Day) Baker, J. W. (1990). Independence day magic. Minneapolis, MN: Lerner. (Simple magic tricks that can be related to Independence Day) Baker, J. W. (1990). St. Patrick’s day magic. Minneapolis, MN: Lerner. (Simple magic tricks that are related to St. Patrick’s Day) Barkin, C., & James, E. (1994). The holiday handbook. New York: Clarion. (Includes Kwanzaa, Earth Day and Woman’s Equality Day) Bauer, C. F. (Ed.). (1989). Halloween: Stories and poems. New York: Lippincott. Begay, S. (1995). Navajo. New York: Scholastic. (Native Americans) Bendrick, J., & Bendick, R. (1997). Markets: From barter to bar codes. New York: Franklin Watts. (Markets around the world, history, customs) Berrill, M. (1990). Mummies, masks & mourners. New York: Lodestar. (Funeral customs, multicultural, historical) Bingham, C., & Foster, K. (1993). Crafts for celebration. Brookfield, CT: Millbrook. (Multicultural celebrations and crafts) Bjork, C. (1991). Elliot’s extraordinary cookbook. New York: R&S Publishers. (Swedish cookbook, translated from Swedish, includes information on nutrition, world agriculture, the human body, and other odds and ends) Blakeslee, A. R. (1989). After the fortune cookies. New York: Putnam. (Chinese grandparents and family life). Blakeslee, A. R. (1997). A different kind of hero. (Chinese Americans in a Colorado mining camp in 1880’s) Bradford, J. (1990). Caroline Zucker and the birthday disaster. Mahwah, NJ: Troll Books. Brady, A. A. (1995). Kwanzaa Karamu: Cooking and crafts for a Kwanzaa feast. Minneapolis. MN: Carolrhoda. Bruchac, J. (1995). Gluskabe and the four winds. New York: Cobblehill Books. (Native American folktale) Bruchac, J. (1991). Native American stories. Golden, CO: Fulcrum. Burden-Patmon, D. (1992). Imani’s gift at Kwanzaa. New York: Simon & Schuster. Campbell, L. (1993). A world of holidays. Parsippany, NJ: Silver. (Holidays from around the world) Caduto, M., & Bruchac, J. (1991). Keepers of the animals: Native American stories and wildlife activities for children. Golden, CO: Fulcrum Publishing. (Ecology/ American Indian stories, hands-on-science activities)
Caduto, M., & Bruchac, J. (1988). Keepers of the earth: Native American stories and environmental activities for children. Golden, CO: Fulcrum Publishing. (Native American stories/hands-on science activities) Caduto, M., & Bruchac, J. (1994). Keepers of life: Discovering plants through Native American stories and earth activities for children. Golden, CO: Fulcrum Publishing. (Native American stories/hands-on science activities) Caduto, M. & Bruchac, J. (1994) Keepers of the night: Native American stories and nocturnal activities for children. Golden, CO: Fulcrum Publishing. (Native American stories, hands-on nighttime activities) Chaikin, M. (1990). Menorahs, mezuzas, and other Jewish symbols. New York: Clarion. (Jewish religion) Chambers, C. (1997). All saints, all souls and Halloween. Chatham, NJ: Raintree. (Holiday facts and activities) Chambers, C. (1997). Chinese New Year. Chatham, NJ: Raintree. Chapman, G. (1997). Spring. Chaham, NJ: Raintree. (Festivals and holidays in spring/multicultural) Churchill, E. R. (1992). Holiday paper projects. New York: Sterling. Coil, S. M. (1994). Mardi Gras! New York: Macmillan. Cole, T., & Watts, F. (1996). Manners, customs & holidays. (Watts Why Do We Do That Series.) New York: Franklin Watts. (Cultural traditions from around the world/lifestyle/behavior, ceremonies, clothing/communications) Cole, T., & Watts, F. (1996). Why do we wear that? (Watts Why Do We Do That Series.) New York: Franklin Watts. (Costumes, clothing, customs, and holidays) Corbett, S. (1996). Hold everything! Chicago: Children’s Book Press. (Decorative and utilitarian aspects of containers from around the world) Corbett, S. (1996). What a doll! Chicago: Children’s Book Press. (Dolls and masks from around the world, includes projects) Curtis, C. P. (2000). Bud, not Buddy. New York: Delacorte. (African-American boy searches for his father, a legendary jazz bandleader/racism) Demi. (1980). Liang and the magic paintbrush. New York: Holt. (Chinese story/art) Dillon, B. (1992). My stepfather shrank! New York: HarperCollins. (Blended families/stepparents) Doney, M. (1997). Festivals. New York: Franklin Watts. (Multicultural festivals) Dorros, A. (1992). This is my house. New York: Scholastic. (Multicultural/homes from 20 different countries) Erlbach, A. (1997). Happy birthday, everywhere! Brookfield, CT: Millbrook. (Birthdays celebrated around the world) Ferris, L. B. (1991). A classic treasury of Christmas. Nashville, TN: Ideals. Flanagan, A. K. Masks! Chicago, IL: Children’s Book Press. (Masks from around the world) Foster, J. (compiler). (1990). Let’s celebrate: Festival poems. New York: Oxford Press.
CHAPTER 27 Resources for Celebrations
Fox, M. V. (1989). About Martin Luther King’s Day. Springfield, NJ: Enslow. Fradin, D. B. (1990). Valentine’s Day. Springfield, NJ: Enslow. Gelber, C. (1993). Masks tell stories. Brookfield, CT: Millbrook. (Masks from around the world) Gergas, A. (1990). My grandmother’s stories: A collection of Jewish folk tales. New York: Knopf. (Young girl in grandmother’s kitchen hears stories while baking and cooking traditional foods) Gibrill, M. (1989). African food and drink. Springfield, NJ: Bookwright. Gilmore, R. (1994). Lights for Gita. Gardiner, ME: Tillbury House. (Diwali, Festival of Light, India) Goode, D. (1978). The dream eater. New York: Macmillan. (Japanese legend/folktale) Goodwin, B. & Perez, C. (1995). A taste of Spain. Fresno, CA: Thomson. (Recipes from Spain) Goss, L., & Goss, C. (1995). It’s Kwanzaa time! New York: Putnam. Graham-Barber, L. (1992). Doodle Dandy: The complete work of Independence Day words. Minneapolis, MN: Bradbury. (Language arts resource) Graham-Barber, L. (1990). Mushy! The complete book of Valentine words. Minneapolis, MN: Bradbury. (Language arts resource) Green, C. (1989). Martin Luther King, Jr.: A man who changed things. Chicago: Children’s Book Press. (Actual photos of Martin Luther King, Jr., Coretta Scott King, and Rose Parks) Greenberg, K. E. (1992). An Armenian family. Minneapolis, MN: Lerner. (Armenian American Azerbaijani refugees) Greenberg, K. E. (1992). Erik is homeless. Minneapolis, MN: Lerner. (Homelessness, single-parent family) Greenberg, K. E. (1992). Out of the gang. Minneapolis, MN: Lerner. (Gang life) Greenberg, K. E. (1996). Zack’s story: Growing up with same-sex parents. Minneapolis, MN: Lerner. (Lesbian parent family) Greenberg, M. H., & Waugh, C. G. (1991). A Newberry Christmas: Fourteen stories of Christmas by Newberry Award-winning authors. New York: Delacorte. Greenberg, M. H., & Waugh, C. G. (1993). A Newbery Halloween: A dozen scary stories by Newberry Awardwinning authors. New York: Delacorte. Grutman, J. H., & Matthaei, G. (1994). The ledgerbook of Thomas Blue Eagle. Charlottesville, VA: ThomassonGrant. (Diary of a young Native American) Hall, L. (1989). Here comes Zelda Claus and other holiday disasters. New York: Harcourt. (Humorous holiday stories) Han, C. (1995). The Demon King and other festival folktales of China. Hilo, Hawaii: University of Hawaii Press. Haue, K., & Hague, M. (1980). East of the sun and West of the moon. New York: Harcourt. (Scandinavian fairy tale)
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Hazen, B. S. (1979). Tight times. New York: Penguin. (Families in financial stress) Hermes, J. (1996). The children of Bolivia. Minneapolis, MN: Carolrhoda. (South and Central American children) Hirschi, R. (1996). People of salmon and cedar. New York: Cobblehill. (Native American Indians of Northwest Coast) Hoig, S. (199). It’s the Fourth of July! New York: Cobblehill. Hoobler, D., & Hoobler, T. (1991). Next stop, freedom: The story of a slave girl. Parsippany, NJ: Burdett. (African Americans/slaves/ Harriet Tubman) Hoobler, D., & Hoobler, T. (1992). A promise of the Alamo: The story of a Texas girl. Parsippany, NJ: Silver. (History of the Alamo) Hoobler, D., & Hoobler, T. (1992). The trail on which they wept: The story of a Cherokee girl. Parsippany, NJ: Burdett. (Cherokee Indians/family) Hoobler, D., & Hoobler, T. (1993). The summer of dreams: The story of a World’s Fair girl. Parsippany, NJ: Silver. (Girl escorts visiting children from other countries at World’s Fair in 1893) Hoobler, D., & Hoobler, T. (1995). The Irish American family album. New York: Oxford. (Irish-American/ immigrants) Hoobler, D., & Hoobler, T. (1995). The Jewish American family album. New York: Oxford. (Jewish Americans/ immigrants) Hoobler, D., & Hoobler, T. (1996). The Cuban American family album. New York: Oxford. (Cuban Americans/ immigrants) Hoobler, D., & Hoobler, T. (1996). The German American family album. New York: Oxford. (German Americans/ immigrants) Hoobler, D., & Hoobler, T. (1996). The Japanese American family album. New York: Oxford. (Japanese Americans/immigrants) Hoyt-Goldsmith, D. (1994). Day of the Dead: A Mexican American celebration. New York: Holiday House. Hoyt-Goldsmith, D. (1995). Mardi Gras: A cajun country celebration. New York: Holiday House. Hughes, H. (1995). Cooking the Swiss way. Minneapolis, MN: Lerner. (Text and recipes) Hunter, S. M. (1997). Four seasons of corn: A Winnebago tradition. Minneapolis: Lerner. (Winnebago Indians, a Hochunk family) Jaffe, N. (1998). The mysterious visitor: Stories from the prophet Elijah. New York: Scholastic. (Jewish culture) Johnson, D. (1996). The children’s book of Kwanzaa: A guide to celebrating the holiday. New York: Atheneum. Johnston, T. (1997). Day of the Dead: An important Mexican holiday. New York: Harcourt. (Mexican holiday October 31 to November 2nd) Kadodwala, D. (1997). Holi. Chatham, NJ: Raintree. (Hinduism/Festivals) Kalman, B., & Nickles, G. (1997). Spanish missions. New York: Crabtree.
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SECTION 7 Creative Celebrations: Holidays in the Early Childhood Curriculum
Kalman, B. (1997). Celebrating the powwow. New York: Crabtree. (Native American Festival in Montana) Kennedy, P. (1991). An Easter celebration: Traditions and customs from around the world. Nashville, TN: Ideals. Kindersley, A. (1997) Celebrations. New York: DK Ink. (UNICEF celebrations around the world) Krasno, R. (1997). Kneeling carabao and dancing giants: Celebrating Filipino festivals. San Jose, CA: Pacific Coast Publishers. (Middle East, Asia, Philippines) Krull, K. (1994). City within a city: How kids live in New York’s Chinatown. New York: Lodestar. (Daily lives of two Chinese American children and two Mexican American children/historical, geographical, social, cultural details) Krull, K. (1994). The other side: How kids live in a California Latino neighborhood. New York: Lodestar. (Mexican Americans in a barrio) Krull, K. (1995). Bridges to change: How kids live on a South Carolina Sea Island. New York: Lodestar. (South Carolina Gullah community.) Krull, K. (1995). One nation, many tribes: How kids live in Milwaukee’s Indian community. New York: Lodestar. Lasky, K. (1994). Days of the Dead. New York: Hyperion. (Mexican American holiday) Leitch, B., Crowther, M., & Mulherin, J. (1991). Ideas for special occasions. Homes Beach, FL: Cavendish. (Multicultural holidays) Levy, J. (1994). The spirit of Tio Fernando/El espiritu de tio Fernando: A Day of the Dead. Morton Grove, IL: Albert Whitman Company. (Bilingal Spanish-English text) Limburg, P. R. (1989). Weird! The complete book of Halloween words. Minneapolis, MN: Bradbury. (Language arts resource) Livingston, M. C. (1996). Festivals. New York: Holiday House. (Festivals around the world) London, J. (1997). Ali, child of the desert. New York: Lothrop, Lee & Shepard. (North Africa) Long, T. C. (1994). Fantastic paper holiday decorations. New York: Sterling. Low, A. (1991). The family read-aloud treasury. New York: Joy Street. (Classic holiday poems and stories) Martinez, E. C. (1995). The Mexican-American experience. Brookfield, CT: Millbrook. (Mexicans, Mexican Americans, history of Mexico, immigration to the United States) Mayo, M. (1994). Magical tales from many lands. New York: Dutton. McCully, E. A. (1998). Beautiful warrior: The legend of the Nun’s Kung Fu. New York: Scholastic. (Chinese history) McCurdy, M. (Ed.). (1994). Escape from slavery: The boyhood of Frederick Douglass in his own words. New York: Knopf. McDermott, G. (1974). Arrow to the sun: A Pueblo Indian tale. New York: Penguin. (Pueblo Indians) McKissack, P. C., & McKissack, F. L. (2000). Black hand, white sails: The story of African-American whalers. New York: Scholastic.
Monjo, F. N. (1970). The drinking gourd. New York: Harper. (Underground railway—The Big Dipper) Moorman, M. (1994). Light the lights! New York: Scholastic. (Family celebrates both Christmas and Hanukkah) Nerlove, M. (1999). Shabbat. Morton Grove, IL: Albert Whitman Company. Nichelason, M. G. (1997). Shoes. Minneapolis, MN: Carolrhoda. (Shoes from around the world) Odjik, P. (1989). The Japanese. Parsipanny, NJ: Silver Burdett. (History of Japan) Osborne, C. (1989). Australian and New Zealand: Food and drink. Bookwright. Osborne, M. P. (1996). One world, many religions: The ways we worship. New York: Knopf. Osseo-Asare, F. (1993). A good soup attracts chairs: A first African cookbook for American kids. New York: Pelican. (Recipes from Ghana and other West African areas) Pearl, S. (1996). Elijah’s tears: Stories for the Jewish holidays. New York: Holt. Penner, L. R. (1993). Celebration: The story of American holidays. New York: Macmillan. (Holidays from many cultural groups in America) Penney, S. (1996). Judaism. Chatham, NJ: Raintree. (basic information on Judaism and its traditions, customs, and celebrations) Perham, M., & Rowe, J. (1996). Food. New York: Franklin Watts. (Broad overview of foods, produced and eaten in different regions of the world) Peters, R. M. (1992). Clambake: A Wampanoag tradition. Minneapolis, MN: Lerner. (Wampanoag Indians of Massachusetts) Peterson, J. W. (1997). I have a sister, my sister is deaf. New York: HarperCollins. Pinkney, B. (2000). In the time of the drums. New York: Sun/Hyperion Books. (African/Gullah tale of a Sea Island slave girl and her drum music) Polacco, P. (1988). Rechenka’s eggs. New York: Putnam & Grosset Group. (Easter festival in Russia) Porter, A. P. (1992). Jump at de sun: The story of Zora Neale Hurston. Minneapolis, MN: Carolrhoda. (Biographical story/African American woman writer) Porter, C. (1993). Addy learns a lesson: A school story. Middleton, WI: Pleasant. (Schools, African Americans) Presilla, M. E. (1994). Feliz Nochebuena, Feliz Navidad: Christmas feasts of the Hispanic Caribbean. New York: Holt. Regguinti, G. (1992). The sacred harvest: Ojibway wild rice gathering. Minneapolis, MN: Lerner. (Leech Lake Reservation, Minnesota/rice gathering) Rohmer, H. (1989). Uncle Nacho’s hat. Chicago: Children’s Book Press. (Spanish Americans) Rosen, M. (1990). Autumn festivals. New York: Bookwright. (Multicultural) Rosen, M. (1990). Winter festivals. New York: Bookwright. (Multicultural)
CHAPTER 27 Resources for Celebrations
Ross, K. (1997). The Jewish holiday craft book. Brookfield, CT: Millbrook. Sabuda, R. (1992). Saint Valentine. New York: Simon & Schuster. (Historical perspective on meaning of Valentine’s Day) San Souci, R. (1991). The legend of Scarface: A Blackfeet Indian tale. New York: Doubleday. (Plains Indians) San Souci, R. (1992). The samurai’s daughter. New York: Dial Books. (Japanese legend) Shea, P. D. (1995). The whispering cloth: A refugee’s story. Honesdale, PA: Boyd’s Mills Press. (Vietnamese refugee story) Shreve, S. (1995). Zoe and Columbo. New York: Tambourine. (Birthday/adopted child) Silverthorne, E. (1992). Fiesta! Mexico’s great celebrations. Brookfield, CT: Millbrook. Smith, D. (1994). Holidays and festivals activities. New York: Crabtree. Spies, K. (1992). Our national holidays. Brookfield, CT: Millbrook. Tan, A. (1994). The Chinese Siamese cat. New York: Macmillan. (Chinese legend) Thomas, J. C. (1998). I have heard of a land. New York: HarperCollins. (Pioneers/African Americans) Tran, K. L. (1992). Tet: The New Year. New York: Simon & Schuster. (Recent Vietnamese immigrants celebrate Tet) Walter, M. P. (1995). Kwanzaa: A family affair. New York: Lee, Lothrop & Shepard. Winter, J. (1988). Follow the drinking gourd. New York: Knopf. (Underground railway) Wittstock, L. W. (1993). Inintag’s gift of sugar: Traditional native sugarmaking. Minneapolis, MN: Lerner. (Anishinabe Indians of Minnesota/sugar maple/making sugar) Wolkstein, D. (1996). Esther’s story. New York: Morrow Junior Books. (Purim/ Jewish Religion/Biblical history) Yee, P. (1990). Tales from the gold mountain: Stories of the Chinese in the New World. New York: Macmillan. (Chinese Americans) Yektai, N. (1992). The secret room. New York: Orchard. (City and country/suburban life, New York, NY) Yellow Robe, R. (1992). Tonweya and the eagles and other Lakota tales. New York: Dial. (Sioux Indians, families) Yeoman, J. (1994). The singing tortoise and other animal folktales. New York: Tambourine. (Multicultural folktales) Yep, L. (1991). Tongues of jade. New York: HarperCollins. (Chinese-American folklore) Yep, L. (1994). The ghost fox. New York: Scholastic. (Chinese folktale/child saves mother’s soul from a ghost) Yep, L. (1995). Later, gator. New York: Hyperion. (Chinese Americans, Chinatown, siblings) Yep, L. (1995). The city of dragons. New York: Scholastic. (Chinese folktale).
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Yep, L. (1995). Thief of hearts. New York: HarperCollins. (Chinese Americans/Chinatown, families) Yep, L. (1995). Tree of dreams: Ten tales from the garden of night. Moraga, CA: Bridgewater. (Folktales and dreams from Japan, India, Greece, Brazil, Senegal and China) Yep, L. (1996). Ribbons. New York: Putnam. (Chinese American family, grandmother’s visit from Hong Kong) Yep, L. (1997). The case of the goblin pearls. New York: HarperCollins. (Mystery story, Chinese Americans, Chinatown, San Francisco) Yolen, J., & Greenberg, M. H. (1992). Encounter. New York: HarperCollins. (Columbus’ arrival through the eyes of an Indian boy on San Salvador) Yolen, J., & Greenberg, M. H. (1995). The haunted house: A collection of original stories. New York: Harper Collins. (Seven short stories, scary, but not frightening) Zalben, J. B. (1996). Beni’s family cookbook: For the Jewish holidays. New York: Holt.
REFERENCES FOR TEACHERS Anderson, M. P. (1996). Frequently asked questions about NAEYC’s linguistic and cultural diversity position paper. Young Children, 51(2), 13–16. Arboleda, T. (1998). In the Shadow of race: Growing up as a multiethnic, multicultural and ‘multiracial’ American. Mahwah, NJ: Erlbaum. Bisson, J. (1992). Celebrating holidays in the anti-bias early childhood education program. Pasadena, CA: Pacific Oaks Occasional Papers. Bisson, J. (1997). Celebrate! An anti bias guide to enjoying holidays in early childhood programs. St. Paul, MN: Redleaf.
FIGURE 27–7
Children get over-excited by too many sweets and activities at holidays.
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SECTION 7 Creative Celebrations: Holidays in the Early Childhood Curriculum
Booze, R. (1992). Incorporating the principles of Kwanzaa into your daily curriculum: A handbook for teachers of young children. Pasadena, CA: Pacific Oaks Unpublished Masters thesis. Bowman, B. T., & Scott, F. M. (1994). Understanding development in a cultural context: The challenge for teachers. In B. L. Mallory & R. S. New (Eds.), Diversity and developmentally appropriate practice, pp. 119–34. New York: Teachers College Press. Carter, M., & Curtis, D. (1994). Training teachers: A harvest of theory and practice. St. Paul, MN: Redleaf. Clark, L., DeWolf, S., & Clark, C. (1992). Teaching teachers to avoid having culturally assaultive classrooms. Young Children, 47(5), 4–9. Cohn, A. L. (compiler). (1993). From sea to shining sea: A treasury of American folklore and folk songs. New York: Scholastic. Crawford, S. H. (1996). Beyond dolls and guns: 101 ways to help children. Peterborough, NH: Heinemann. Cronin, S., Derman-Sparks, L., Henry, S., & Olatunji, C. (1998). Future vision, present work: Learning from the culturally relevant anti-bias leadership project. St. Paul, MN: Redleaf. DeGaetano, G., & Arnold, M. (1997). Media smarts 4 young folks. Los Angeles: MerrieWay CommUnity. Delpit, L. L. (1995). Other people’s children: Cultural conflict in the classroom. New York: New Press. Derman-Sparks, L. (1999). Markers of multicultural/antibias education. Young Children, 54(5), 43. Derman-Sparks, L., & the ABC Task Force. (1989). Antibias curriculum: tools for empowering young children. Washington, DC: NAEYC. Derman-Sparks, L., & Phillips, C. B. (1999). Teaching/ learning anti-racism: A developmental approach. New York: Teachers College Press. Edwards, C., Gandini, L., & Forman, G. (Eds.). (1998). Hundred languages of children: The Reggio Emilia approach—advanced reflections (2nd ed.). Greenwich, CT: Ablex. Gadeberg, J. (1997). Brave new girls: Creative ideas to help girls be confident, healthy, happy. Minneapolis, MN: Fairview. Goldstein, L. S. (1998). Teaching with love: A feminist approach to early childhood education. New York: Peter Lang Publishing. Gonzalez-Mena, J. (1993). Multicultural issues in child care. Mountain View, CA: Mayfield. Grant, C. (Ed.). (1998). Multicultural research: Race, class, gender and sexual orientation. Hamden, CT: Falmer Press. Greenberg, P. (1999). Children’s Books. Review of People of corn: A Mayan story, by M. J. Gerson. Young Children, 54(5), 84. Gutwirth, V. (1997). A multicultural family project for primary. Young Children 51(2), 72–78. Hall, N. S. (1999). Creative resources for the anti-bias classroom. Albany, NY: Delmar.
FIGURE 27–8
Adults can visit for a brief time to share reading of a holiday book with young children.
Hamilton, V. (1985). The people could fly: American black folktales. New York: Knopf. Hearne, B. (1999). Choosing books for children: A common sense guide, (3rd ed.). Urbana, IL: University of Illinois Press. Hidalgo, N. (1993). Multicultural teacher introspection. In T. Perry & J. W. Fraser (Eds.), Freedom’s plow: Teaching in a multicultural classroom, (pp. 99–108). New York: Routledge. Holst, C. B. (1999). Buying more can give children less. Young Children, 54(5), 19–23. Hyun, E. (1998). Making sense of developmentally and culturally appropriate practice (DCAP) in early childhood education. New York: Peter Lang. Kahl, M. A. (1999). Global art. New York: Gryphon House. Klein, S., Testell, E., & Jewett, J. (1998). When teachers reflect: Journeys toward effective, inclusive practice. Washington, DC: NAEYC. Kauppinen, H., & Diket, R. (Eds.). (1995). Trends in art education from diverse cultures. Reston, VA: National Assoc. of Educators of Art. Kruse, G. M., Horning, K. T., & Schliesman, M. (1998). Multicultural literature for children and young adults. Madison, WI: Wisconsin Dept. of Public Instruction. Ladson-Gillings, G. (1994). The dreamkeepers: Successful teachers of African American children. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass. Lee, E., Menkart, D., & Okazawa-Rey, M. (Eds.). (1998). Beyond heroes and holidays: A practical guide to K–12 anti-racist, multicultural education and staff development. Washington, DC: Network of Educators on the Americas.
CHAPTER 27 Resources for Celebrations
Lerner Then and Now Series. (1993). Belarus. Minneapolis, MN: Lerner. (Geography, culture, history, and economics of four formerly Soviet Union countries) Macgregor, C. (1995). Family customs and traditions. Minneapolis, MN: Fairview Press. Madrazo, G. M. Jr. (1999). So, how does a multicultural classroom look? Sound? Science & Children, 7(2), 6–7. Mallory, B. L., & New, R. S. (1994). Diversity and developmentally appropriate practice. New York: Teachers College Press. May, S. (Ed.). (1998). Towards critical multiculturalism. Hamden, CT: Falmer Press. Neubert, K., & Jones, E. (1998). Creating a culturally relevant holiday curriculum: A negotiation. Young Children, 53(5), 14–19. Paley, V. G. (1995). Kwanzaa and me: A teacher’s story. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press. Perry, T., & Fraser, J. W. (Eds.). (1993). Freedom’s plow: Teaching in a multicultural classroom. New York: Routledge. Phelps, E. J. (1981). The maid of the North: Feminist folktales from around the world. New York: Holt. Raintree. (1997). Raintree Atlases Series. Chatham, NJ: Author. (Cultural information from eight global regions, including Native Americans, Russian Jews, African Americans, etc.) Rodriguez, B. M. (with Garcia, J. B.). (1998). Extending the dialogue on diversity issues in family support. Chicago: Family Resource Coalition of America. Santino, J. (1995). All around the year: Holidays and celebrations in American life. Chicago: University of
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Illinois Press. Saunders, R. J. (1998). Beyond the traditional in art: Facing a pluralistic society. Reston, VA: National Assoc. of Educators of Art. Scharmann, M. W. (1999). We are friends when we share memories together. Young Children, 53(2), 27–29. Swiniarski, L. A., Breitborde, M. L., & Murphy, J. A. (1999). Educating the global village: Including the young child in the world. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Merrill. Tomlinson, C. M. (Ed.). (1998). Children’s books from other countries. Urbana, IL: National Council of Teachers of English. (Annotated bibliography of children’s books, 724 titles from 29 countries) Van Laan, N. (1995). In a circle long ago: A treasury of native lore from North America. New York: Knopf. Washington, V., & Andrews, J. D. (Eds.). (1999). Children of 2010. Washington, DC: NAEYC. Wolery, M., & Wilbers, J. S. (Eds.). (1999). Including children with special needs in early childhood programs. Washington, DC: NAEYC. Yelland, N. (Ed.). (1998). Gender in early childhood. New York: Routledge. Young, B. (Ed.). (1990). Art, culture and ethnicity. Reston, VA: National Assoc. of Educators of Art. Zinn, H. (1995). A people’s history of the United States: 1492 to present, revised and updated. New York: HarperCollins.
For additional creative activity resources, visit our Web site at www.EarlyChildEd.delmar.com.
SECTION 8 Seasons
REFLECTIVE QUESTIONS After studying this section, you should be able to answer the following questions. 1. How do my classroom art activities reflect the aesthetic qualities of the seasons? 2. Am I planning activities that encourage children’s aesthetic sensibilities to the seasons? 3. Am I planning developmentally appropriate activities that enrich children’s aesthetic appreciation of the seasons? 4. Do I build on children’s natural affinity to the wonder of the world around them by regularly planning time for outdoor activities? 5. Have I planned specific activities for each season of the year which emphasize the unique differences in each season? 6. How do children react to the seasonal aesthetic experiences I plan for them? Do they appear motivated and involved? 7. Am I planning a wide variety of seasonal activities including all areas of the curriculum as well as two- and three-dimensional activities? 8. Have I evaluated my seasonal aesthetic activities and materials for their developmental appropriateness and effectiveness? 9. Am I keeping the joy of wonder in the world around me in my own approach to the seasons? 10. How will I modify my lessons and activities so they reflect a sensitivity to the beauty and uniqueness of each season?
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OBJECTIVES After studying this chapter, you should be able to: 1. Discuss the aesthetic awareness of young children. 2. Describe ways to enhance children’s aesthetic awareness in the seasons of the year. 3. Discuss how teachers can encourage children’s aesthetic awareness in the early childhood program.
T
he unfolding beauty of the seasons is not lost on very young children. Toddlers squat down to touch and really look at fallen leaves. For them, it’s not enough to look—they love to roll and tumble and crush the leaves. Bugs crawling in the grass are closely examined by young eyes. Flowers are full of little children’s noses, when they bury their faces in them to smell the flower’s scent. The beauty of nature is very much a part of very young children’s lives. But as the years go by, a child’s world gets fuller and fuller with new learning experiences. Books, toys, television, and computers compete with nature to fill a young child’s world. Their closeness with nature lessens and lessens. The purpose of this chapter, “Seasons: Aesthetic Awareness” is to preserve, encourage, and enrich the child’s appreciation of the beauty of nature—his aesthetic awareness—through an appreciation and awareness of the seasons of the year. The term “aesthetic awareness” is meant to be a unifying strategy for looking at all of the seasons. All of the seasons are covered in this one chapter in this context of aesthetics instead of separately by seasons.
“Aesthetics,” as we learned in Chapter 3, refers to an appreciation for beauty and a feeling of wonder. Aesthetic awareness involves being aware of and appreciating the beauty in the changing seasons. Appreciation for the special, unique beauty specific to each season is the goal of this chapter. As in all other chapters in this text, you are encouraged to adapt the ideas found here to suit your own special group of children. You will not find separate activities for children or student learning activity sections at the end of this chapter since activities are the main focus of the chapter itself. The same is true for all other chapter end sections except children’s books. You will find suggested books for children at the chapter’s end. These lists are not intended to be all inclusive, but to be a starting point for seasonal books for children. You will find hundreds of appropriate children’s books listed on-line at the Web sites mentioned in Chapter 18. You will also find your school and public libraries are excellent sources for children’s books on the seasons.
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Aesthetics Everywhere
The public most often considers art as either elitist (i.e., in art museums or for rich collectors) or only fit for the crafts room at the local community center. Yet, aesthetics, or consideration of the beautiful, has been an inherent part of our lives for at least 30,000 years. In the United States, however, the frontier and Puritan ethics relegated aesthetics to the back burner, and because of our necessary attention to survival, sometimes it was not even placed on the stove! In 1986 columnist George Will chided General Motors for making the mistake of thinking that Americans regard cars as mere objects of transportation. He said that cars are instruments of self-expression. It didn’t take GM long to catch the drift of Will’s comments. The aesthetic sense now encompasses every facet of car manufacturing. Consider the image a four-wheel drive vehicle sends. Consider the image a convertible sends. If Americans were not concerned about the aesthetics of their vehicles, there would not be the massive variety of makes and models in the world today. Individual identity and personalization has moved the average person, as well as the artist, into the realm of aesthetics. The aesthete has become you and your neighbor, as well as the curator of an art museum. Perhaps one of the most obvious examples of the evolution of aesthetics in our world can be “seen” through our glasses. At one time, wearing glasses was not highly popular. “Four eyes” was a term used by children that signified weakness. Now, nearly everyone wears glasses at one time or another, and often for different reasons. Movie stars and others in the entertainment business wear glasses for self-image or ego to set them apart from the masses. Now many youngsters, adolescents, and young adults are doing the same thing. The desire for the aesthetics of glasses is often more important than the use for glasses. The point is, we don’t select glasses for survival. We select them for identity, feeling good about self; in other words, for aesthetic reasons. We continue to be inundated by examples of “real world” aesthetics. At one time, a nice lawn with plenty of green grass was the goal of most homeowners. Now, our yards have become sculpture parks. Homeowners tend to be much more individual and creative as they attend to rock gardens, Japanese gardens, ornamental grasses, fountains, pools, shade gardens, and wildflower meadows. Beauty has taken center stage. Rocks are in, but not for survival. Aesthetics, then, is not an academic concept. It is everywhere in our environment, in our personal preferences, in our personal choices, and in how we strive to live our lives.
THE AESTHETICS OF AUTUMN Autumn is nature’s last fling of the year. The landscape is brilliant with raw and muted colors ranging from bright yellow to red-orange to red, from red-brown to red-violet.
AUTUMN EXPERIENCES FOR CHILDREN The young child is naturally sensitive to the wonders and beauty of nature: the colors and rhythm of leaves whirled by autumn winds, the texture of dried seeds
and weeds, the form and color in the harvest. There are a number of things a teacher can do to enlarge children’s understanding of their world and to encourage them to learn to look, feel, and think. ■ Begin a collection of objects from nature for classroom use. Encourage closer observation of design in nature. ■ Take children on walking trips to discover and observe the colors, shapes, and textures in trees, plants, clouds, buildings, and vehicles. Individual observation can be shared with others at group time. The children draw and paint the beauty of nature as they each see it, using their own feelings and ideas.
CHAPTER 28 Seasons: Aesthetic Awareness
Their growing visual awareness is gradually reflected in picture making, as they mature in the ability to interpret their environment. Some topics for drawing and painting are ■ Leaves in Autumn ■ Birds Flying South ■ A Rainy Day in Fall ■ The Fall Harvest ■ Raking Fall Leaves ■ My Neighborhood in Autumn ■ An Autumn Collage The traditional beginning of school in the fall of the year is an excellent time for increasing awareness of the world around us. It starts the year off with practice in observation skills. ■ Children can be encouraged to be more aware of their environment in only a few minutes. Discuss the fact that leaves will change color and watch together to see when it happens. Make a game of finding the largest, smallest, and most unusual colored leaf. Focus on an evergreen or pine and talk about the needles and pinecones and the fact that they stay green and don’t drop off. Talk about people needing jackets and animals growing winter coats. ■ Collect leaves of different sizes and shapes. Show the children that one side is smooth and one side is rough. Have them put the rough side up and a piece of paper over it. Take a small crayon turned on its side and rub over the paper. The outline of the leaf will show through. It’s fun to change colors. This can be used on any object with texture. ■ Fall is also the time when apples are harvested. There are almost 10,000 varieties grown in the world. A fun experiment to do with the children is to buy one of several kinds in the grocery store. See how many ways they are alike and different. Say their names. Taste a piece of each one. If you cut two pieces from each one, can the children find the ones that taste the same or different?
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with an accompanying tempera paint or watercolor mixing activity. Collections of leaves can be preserved for future study by pressing them between the pages of an old telephone book or a big dictionary, then encasing them in clear Contact paper or laminating them. Leaves can be duplicated with rubbings or printed by painting a leaf with tempera paint, transferring the leaf to paper, then pressing on it. But an awe-inspiring leaf print is made by applying block-printing ink with a brayer (ink roller) to both sides of the leaf, then placing the inked leaf between a folded sheet of paper and rubbing it thoroughly. Two different and beautiful versions of nature appear, and the child who has done the inking, folding, and rubbing is the artist of this marvelous creation! FIRST DAY OF FALL Read the story of Frederick by Leo Lionni about mice getting ready for the long, winter ahead. Take a fall stroll. Collect beautiful colored leaves as you walk. When you return, glue the leaves onto a small paper bag. Put the bag in a safe place. Next time you go walking, take the bag along and collect more fall items to use in the fall activities that follow. LEAVES AND LEARNING CONCEPTS Math concepts can be introduced with a leaf collection. The children may classify assorted leaves by color, shape, size, edges, or texture. Feeling the leaves will
FALL COLORS AND LEAVES The beautiful color change of leaves that occurs in the temperate eastern portions of large continents—the northeastern United States, China, Japan, and a small area of southwestern Europe—might serve as a handson study of colors. Throughout the world and in every season, the leaves of conifers (cone-bearing trees, also called evergreens) provide comparisons and contrasts of greens: light green, dark green, yellow green, blue green, or blackish green. To study different shades of green, lay out leaves for comparison and classification
FIGURE 28–1
Young children are in touch with their senses, including their aesthetic sense.
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WEED BRUSHES On a nice day, take the children on a walk collecting Queen Anne’s lace, wild oats, goldenrod, grass, etc. The next day let each child dip these items into different colors of tempera paint and use them as paintbrushes, using either one or several different colors. If the children do not want to paint with their “weed” brushes, they can simply dip their weeds in colors, leave them to dry, and take them home in a plastic bag. These dried, colored weeds make a pretty fall arrangement. CENTER OF INTEREST AUTUMN COLLAGE
FIGURE 28–2
The aesthetic enjoyment, in the sense of touch, is not lost on the very young.
reveal a variety of surfaces, both top and underside. For example, American elm leaves have a sandpapery top surface, while white poplar leaves feel like velvet on the underside. Other leaves may feel smooth, bumpy, or sticky. Beech leaves are reputed to feel like new money! Children can match textures with samples of known objects, such as pine needles with toothpicks, white poplar with velvet, American elm with sandpaper, or holly with satin ribbon. Leaves can be matched, arranged from smallest to largest, or patterned in a series, e.g., one oak, one maple, one oak, one maple; or one oak, two maples, one oak, two maples. Don’t forget the sense of smell! Sassafras, black walnut, and pine have identifiable odors, as do many herbaceous plants such as yarrow, lavender, wild onion, garlic, mustard, creeping charlie (ground ivy), and all of the herbs. To add fun to a sensory experience, rake leaves into a pile and let the children jump in, lie down, and smell! A craft project making a monocular or binoculars out of toilet-paper tubes—one tube or two joined together, with attached strings so the binoculars can be worn, and decorated according to available materials and whim—will be popular. The binoculars may be used to help children focus their attention on finding the darkest, lightest, or yellowest green in the landscape.
The children may enjoy making an arrangement with objects of nature that can be pasted easily to a flat background such as a shallow box or box lid. Sheets of heavy construction paper or cardboard are also suitable. A variety of objects (different textures, shapes, and colors) create interesting designs. Begin the collage by placing the most important object on the background. Then arrange the other objects around it so that it remains the center of interest. A collection of autumn collages makes an attractive classroom display. REPEATED FORMS AUTUMN COLLAGE Another nature collage can be made using seeds, pods, and other things scattered on the ground and left by the wind. ■ Children may classify the objects as large, small, round, straight, rough, smooth, hard, soft. ■ An egg carton is a good receptacle for small objects. ■ The objects may be arranged into a pattern of repeating forms, using contrasting shapes, textures, and colors. A group display tells the story of nature’s materials. FALL DESIGNS After collecting a variety of natural objects from their fall walks, some children may want to arrange them in bouquets. Provide children a variety of containers such as tin cans, old vases, or paper cups. They will also need sand, marbles, pebbles, clay, play dough, or salt clay to make a base to hold their natural bouquets. Children place objects randomly in the base until they are satisfied with their arrangement. The more objects available, the more interesting the arrangements will be. They are nice fall decorations for the housekeeping center, as well as a centerpiece for fall snack time.
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FALL GROUP MURAL (CUT/TORN PAPER) A group mural using cut or torn paper is another form of picture making in which each child can participate and make a contribution. It generally works best with children five years old and up. Cut or torn paper is a flexible technique that encourages the child to arrange and rearrange pieces on a background, grouping and overlapping them as desired. Discuss with the children possible topics for the group mural. Each child decides what she will make, expressing their own ideas. A variety of papers may be used, such as different colors of construction paper, foil, tissue paper, wallpaper, and colored magazine pages. After children are satisfied with their creations, they glue the pieces on the background.
FALL WALK PHOTOGRAPHS Take photographs during a fall walk. Try to take pictures that show a sequence of events. Back in the classroom, arrange the photographs on display in sequence. Have the children think of captions for the pictures, then the story of the event, following the sequence shown in the pictures. Children who are not yet writing can dictate their captions and story to the teacher. They can also dictate their stories on a tape recorder to enjoy at a later time.
AUTUMN EXPERIENCES FOR OLDER CHILDREN An appreciation of the fall season is probably even more important for middle and upper elementary age students, since they are even further removed from the early years’ sense of wonder. In addition to the activities already covered, you may wish to approach this changing season with more complex artistic activities. Here are a few suggestions:
FIGURE 28–3
Talking to children about the beauty of the world around them encourages development of children’s aesthetic senses.
Students might want to research the types of grass and leaves they used in this activity. FALL TEXTURES Have the students make and illustrate vocabulary cards for words that describe fall textures. Have them arrange the items by tactile sense (e.g., rough, soft, smooth). Encourage them to use these terms appropriately in storytelling and in other activities. MYSTERY TEXTURES Tell students they will make a mystery texture bag. Provide small paper bags for each student. Have them secretly collect items that have varied textures of fall, or any season. These are the mystery items that others will be guessing. Working in pairs, students exchange bags and try to guess what the mystery objects are by feeling the textures. See Figure 28–4 for more seasonal activities. LINES, PATTERNS, TEXTURES
TEXTURES Provide students with a variety of leaves, long grasses, and other natural objects. You might want them to bring in similar natural objects as well. Have them make rubbings using white crayon or oil pastel and black paper. Suggest that students do a repeated rubbing of the item until the entire paper is covered. Discuss the results as a record of textures that can be viewed as artwork as well as a display for science.
Have students bring in a large leaf. Place viewfinders over one part of the leaf and observe lines, patterns, and textures. Have students create a large drawing of the small section of the leaf seen in the viewfinder. VARIETIES OF COLORS Have students look selectively for varieties of red in leaves and bring them to class. Have them describe the
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AUTUMN 1. Harvest time 2. Food Eating and life Storing for winter (people and animals) Cooking and preparing 3. Seeds 4. Changes in plants and animals Caring for plants for winter Falling leaves Changing colors 5. Animals preparing for winter Birds leaving Nests Changes in fur Caterpillars 6. Cooler weather days Effect on clothing we wear Frost WINTER 1. Cold weather Melting and freezing Ice, snow, sleet, fog Clothing necessary 2. Animals Resting and shelter/protection Pets that need care Bird feeding 3. Plants Need for warmth and light Freezing/resting outside Winter bulbs and flowers 4. Heat and light Short days and darkness Awareness of moon and stars Warmth of sun on some days How buildings are heated Drying and evaporation 5. Light and color Bubbles Prisms Flashlights Lenses 6. Electricity Clinging elements of static electricity Used for heat and light Helps us with our work
FIGURE 28–4
Seasonal activities.
SPRING 1. Weather Rain, fog, hail, wind Lightning, thunder Thawing Warm sun Effect on clothing we wear 2. Animals Baby animals Growth Changes in trees and plants Flowers and buds 3. Water, sand, and mud Evaporation Absorption Flow and forces of water Mixing, dissolving, combining 4. Smells Damp things Flowers 5. Machines and their uses People working after the winter Construction (streets and buildings) Tree-trimming and spraying Tools used on lawns, gardens, fields Weights and balance Aids to moving things SUMMER 1. Weather Hot sun, shade, breezes Heat, rain, thunder, hail Effects on body (light clothing, resting, need for water, perspiration) 2. Animals Providing food, water, shade Discovery of worms, insects, spiders (how they live) Growth of baby animals born in spring 3. Plants Growth Need for sun, water, some shade Development and ripening of foods Preparing fresh fruits and vegetables 4. Machines Heavy machinery Construction Concepts of levers, wheels, pulleys Continued use of sand, mud, water
CHAPTER 28 Seasons: Aesthetic Awareness
differences using terms such as light, dark, shiny, dull. Focus on other visual elements in the same way. For example, ask students who are wearing rough textures to stand and point them out. Develop an awareness of terms to describe textures such as bumpy, prickly and silky.
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tures can be created by painting with bits of sponge, crushed paper, or old toothbrushes. White chalk also works well for winter pictures. It may be used alone, on colored paper, or in combination with crayon. Some topics for picture making are ■ Playing in the Snow
WEATHER DIARIES Have students keep a weather diary with drawings that portray the weather as it occurs at the same time each day for five days. The time might be lunch or recess. At the end of five days, have students work in small groups to compare and contrast the different interpretations. The total group can choose drawings that best represent the weather for each day. The drawings might be put into a booklet entitled “The Weather Diary of Grade Four.” Present the booklet to the school library.
NEW COLORS Ask students to think about colors they have never seen in fall flowers or leaves. Have them create a fall drawing or painting using these colors. Discuss the mood or feeling of these artworks with each student.
PHOTOGRAPHERS’ VISION Bring in books with fall photographs by Ansel Adams, Paul Weston, Alfred Steiglitz, Margaret Bourke-White, and other well-known photographers. Have the students discuss the subject matter portrayed by these photographers. Discuss why each may have chosen his or her subject, and how the images were planned. Does it look like the fall where you live? What are the similarities? The differences?
THE AESTHETICS OF WINTER Young children greet winter with delight. In many areas of the country it means ice-skating and sledding, rolling snowballs to make a snowman, sliding on the ice, jumping in snowdrifts, and catching snowflakes on warm mittens. In other areas, it means colder weather and shorter days, even though there is no snow. The idea of snow in winter, however, is traditional even in parts of the country where it never snows! Winter offers many stimulating subjects for aesthetic experiences. Children can experiment with paints to depict the bright colors of winter clothing and the active lines seen in outdoor sports. The delicate tex-
■ Our Street in Winter ■ Feeding the Birds ■ Riding on My Sled ■ We Play Safely in Winter ■ Ice-Skating with My Friends ■ Building a Snowman ■ Dressing for Winter Weather Some other suggestions for experiences that encourage a child’s aesthetic sense are ■ sleighing at a nearby hill ■ walking around the block to see how homes look in the winter ■ observing and studying plants in winter (encourage children to discover for themselves which plants stay the same all year) ■ observing and studying a snowshoe rabbit, with discussion on how it changes color to match its environment in winter ■ observing melting of icicles and snow as temperatures warm or as they are placed over heat ■ observing snowflakes with a magnifying glass ■ discussing animals that hibernate for the winter ■ observing water placed outside, with discussion of temperature as it relates to freezing and liquids, and to formation of snowflakes ■ discussing migration of some birds before winter ■ mixing food coloring with snow ■ studying animal tracks in the snow ■ observing birds at a bird feeder ■ recognizing the differences between birds seen at the bird feeder For another aesthetic experience, after a walk in the wintery weather, children may enjoy creating their own three-dimensional scenes of winter. All you need is a surface covered with white, either a sheet or white roll of (freezer) paper. Discuss what they saw on their walk and what they may want to create. Provide a supply of cardboard boxes as well as paint, markers, bits of cloth, and ribbon. Natural objects like twigs, pinecones, and leaves are interesting additional materials. This could be an ongoing project that children can add to or change over the course of several days.
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WINTER EXPERIENCES FOR CHILDREN SOAPY SCULPTURE DOUGH Add this soap dough mixture to your modeling materials in the winter time. It is white and very pliable and easy for children to manipulate. To make the soapy mixture, pour a box of soap flakes into a large container. Add water slowly until the mixture is the consistency of paste. Invite the children to mix it with you. Then have the children form grapefruit-sized balls with a lump of the mixture. Provide enough of these balls so each child has his own modeling “soap.” You may want to supply toothpicks, pipe cleaners, buttons, and sequins for the children to decorate their soap dough creations.
OUTDOOR ARTWORK—SNOW DESIGNS Save the squeeze bottles that dishwashing detergent comes in. Rinse thoroughly. Fill with colored water. Let the children “draw” bright designs by squirting the colored water on the snow.
FINGER PAINTING WITH ICE CUBES
■ creative movements relating to jobs in winter, such as shoveling snow ■ creative movements depicting a snowman as it melts ■ creative movements of winter sports and activities— ice-skating, throwing snowballs, etc. ■ creative movements depicting birds flying around the bird feeder, eating seeds, flying in the air The children and teacher may think of others.
BIRD FEEDERS Winter is a wonderful time for feeding the birds. Young children are able to understand how important food is and that birds can’t always get to food they need if snow covers the ground. Even in areas where it does not snow, young children can see the bare trees, brown grass, and lack of flowers, which are all food sources for the birds. In areas where winters are very mild, children can simply help the birds more easily find food by making bird feeders. Bird feeders are easy to make and provide many learning opportunities for young children. Hang them up near windows where children are able to observe the birds enjoying their food. Young children are keen observers of nature and will enjoy the variety of birds their feeders attract.
For this variation of finger painting, use regular finger paint and glossy paper, but do not wet the paper as you normally would to prepare for finger painting. Give each child an ice cube with which to spread and dilute the paint while making designs on the paper.
WINTER DRAMATIZATIONS Dramatizations can be stimulated by phenomena in our everyday world. Encourage the children to pretend (by acting with their body movements) to be any of the following. ■ leaves waving in a gentle wind, a heavy wind, and then eventually flying through the air ■ snow falling softly, being made into a snowman and then melting ■ an ice cream cone or icicle melting in the sun ■ rain trickling down, running into a swift stream, the sun coming out, and a rainbow appearing ■ an icy hill that is hard to walk up ■ a thick fog to find one’s way through ■ creative movements relating to snow and different kinds of snowstorms
FIGURE 28–5
It’s easy to tell when a child is happy in her environment.
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The Seasons: Help Children Experience the Changing Seasons Through All of Their Senses The change of seasons brings many sensations and experiences that relate to our senses. For each new season, hang a piece of chart paper with the heading, SPRING (SUMMER, FALL, WINTER) IS HERE! Make four columns with the headings: “I Can Smell It,” “I Can Hear It,” “I Can See It,” “I Can Feel It.” Have the children help you to list everything they can think of for each category. Let them illustrate the mural with their own drawings or designs or with pictures cut out from magazines. Extend your discussion of the mural with a focus on how and what you can feel with each season. Try the following activities.
SPRING ■ During the spring months, we feel the wind. Your art activities may include a pinwheel, kite, or streamers. Have the children imagine (and even act out!) what it would be like to be a kite. ■ Birds appear in the spring. Talk about how they move when they fly and when they search for food. Let children try their wings and move like birds. ■ Spring is the time for planting. Let children imagine that they are a seed sleeping under the soil. As the warm sun and spring rains come, they begin to grow up through the soil slowly until they are a flower or a plant.
SUMMER ■ Ask the children to be a thunderstorm. Could they make themselves into thunder, lightning, or rain?
FALL ■ Fall is the time that school begins for many children. Ask your group to pretend they are doing the things they like best in school. See who can guess what each activity is. ■ Falling leaves are a part of the fall season. Ask your children to show you how they could be leaves that are falling from the trees, swirling to the ground, and then blowing away in the wind. Have them imagine a pile of leaves and how they could make believe that they are jumping into that pile.
WINTER ■ For many children, winter means cold weather. Have children tell you with their bodies that the weather is cold. Ask them to walk in the wind and then in deep snow. ■ Make a snow person! Let children pretend to roll the snowballs until they are bigger and bigger, heavier and heavier! Place one on top of the other. Add the eyes, nose, hat, scarf, or anything else. ■ Let’s pretend with winter sports. Ask the children to pretend to skate, ski, make snow angels, sled ride. Your activities can emerge from the ideas of the children. What they choose relates to where they live, their own special interests, and their unique observations of nature.
As winter goes on, children enjoy the daily ritual of feeding the birds and possibly putting out some water when it is freezing. Other bird feeding ideas include: ■ Under supervision, even quite young children can manage to thread peanuts in shells onto a string with a large dull-tipped rug needle. Hang up these “necklaces” for the birds.
■ Children can also make “bird pudding” from stale bits of bread, raisins, bird seed, and bacon rind, moistened with water and put out for the birds. Put the pudding out as is or put it into half a coconut shell. A small hole drilled into the coconut shell will enable you to hang it up where it can swing freely as birds land to feed.
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WINTER EXPERIENCES FOR OLDER CHILDREN Winter is an excellent time to focus attention on the designs of nature. Trees without leaves are more interesting to study for design and line patterns. The light and shadow in the winter is different than in other months. Animals have different coats in the winter. There are different colors and kinds of birds seen in the winter. The following ideas are more suggestions on using the aesthetics of winter for art activities:
pasted down, have students add other textures and details based on a winter concept.
WINTER AWARENESS Ask students to look for examples of unusual shapes and colors in the winter environment (sunsets, changing colors and shapes of clouds, puddles of water with reflections). Have students use the wet-into-wet technique (painting on a wet piece of paper), to create paintings of the sky with soft fuzzy clouds of different shapes. Note possibilities for pictures of stormy skies, sunsets, etc.
SKELETONS Artists learn to see and sketch things in two ways. One way is to look for geometric shapes. The other is to look for lines that show the “skeleton” or hidden structure of an object. Bare trees in winter are perfect to study as “skeletons” for shape and drawing activities. Take a few trips outside with sketchbooks and observe the barren trees for shapes and designs. Remind the children to look at them as if they were “skeletons.” This shape is hidden when the leaves are on the tree. Help students find geometric shapes in these “skeletons.” Use words like “circle,” “oval,” and “ellipse” to describe shapes of trees. Encourage the children to sketch what they see. Discuss any geometric shapes they see in terms of how the shapes all combine into one design—the tree itself.
LIGHT SOURCES Set up an environment with a light source and several geometric forms. Have the students develop some experiments that will allow them to move the light source or the forms a measured distance from each other. Have them observe and draw the changes in the length and the shapes of the cast shadows when they move the light source or the objects.
WINTER LANDSCAPE Have the students create a collage of a winter landscape using rubbings made with oil pastels or crayons. To make a rubbing, place 6” x 9” newsprint on a textured surface. Use the flat edge of an unwrapped oil pastel or crayon to rub the paper. Hold the paper so it does not move. For complex textural effects, place a completed rubbing over a second surface and rub it with a second color. After the rubbings are cut and
ANIMALS IN WINTER Have the students go to the library and select an illustrated book about animals in winter. They should choose the book because they like the style of the illustrations. Have them share their choices and explain features of the illustrator’s style. Compare and contrast the styles, emphasizing the special qualities of each. Encourage students to invent descriptive style names such as scientific or realistic, fantasy, or imagination, or cartoon-like.
SCIENCE RESEARCH Have students work in small groups with science books. Have them do research on topics such as glowin-the-dark animal life (firefly, glowworm, electric eel), and glow-in-the-dark visual effects (reflective surfaces on roads, fluorescent colors seen under special liquids). Have them share their research with the class. Encourage them to draw, paint, or model the research in original creations.
WINTER MOONLIGHT Read the story Happy Birthday, Moon by Frank Asch. As the story is read, show the illustrations. At the end of the story, discuss with students how the illustrator has shown moonlight in the various scenes in the book. Have the students describe their own memories of how things look at night when the moon is full. Encourage imaginative recall about shadows and special differences in seasons (snow) or weather (rain). Have the students draw a picture using the book as a starting point. They may also want to write a story or poem to go with their work.
CHAPTER 28 Seasons: Aesthetic Awareness
FIGURE 28–6
The changing seasons inspire children’s artwork.
THE AESTHETICS OF SPRING The gradual coming of spring brings many signs of beauty, such as the color and texture of flowers in the sunlight and the pattern of delicate leaves against the sky. Children can share their experiences during informal discussions and they can bring in objects of nature for closer observation. Objects may a include bouquet of dandelions, a piece of moss, some pussy willows, or a budding tree branch. These discoveries motivate children to learn by stimulating their curiosity about the world around them and arousing new interests and ideas. Young children enjoy the rainy and windy days of spring. They learn more about wind and rain if they have a chance to taste, feel, and walk in it. They can then discuss, question, and accept the elements more easily and add to their knowledge of nature.
SPRING EXPERIENCES FOR CHILDREN The following spring activity suggestions will help young children experience nature up close.
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To help young children experience rain ■ Take a group of children for a walk in a light rain. Wear boots, raincoats, and hats. ■ Take a walk after a heavy rain; feel the drops as they fall from trees; explore the puddles. ■ Let two children at a time use an umbrella and take a walk in the yard. ■ Use a porch or other shelter for unlimited chances to hold hands, tongues, or containers out in the rain. ■ Collect rain in clean containers for tasting; use for washing hands and face; try it with soap; blow bubbles. For tasting, put a plastic cup or glass for each child in a cake pan or such to keep from being blown over. ■ Listen for the sound of rain—is it sprinkling? A heavy rain? A blowing rain? ■ Listen to the sound as rain hits different surfaces: windowpane, roof, outside shelter, ground, puddle of water. ■ Have four- and five-year-olds experiment with rain hitting various surfaces; put out inverted tin pan, pan of water, pan of dirt, paper sack. ■ Note the smell of fresh rain. ■ Watch what happens as the rain hits the windowpane or a puddle of water. ■ Watch what happens as a rain begins—as it hits dry ground, the sidewalk, leaves on a tree. ■ What is different about the sky, clouds, and sun? Older children may visually compare the color of clouds, sun, and sun rays on various days. ■ For children who walk to school: What was different about coming to school—puddles, sidewalks, cars splashing, etc.? ■ For children who ride to school: What was different about driving to school—windshield wipers, lights on, driving slowly, slippery streets? ■ What was needed to go out in the rain: umbrella, newspaper, boots, raincoat? ■ Is there a rainbow? ■ On a hot, sunny day let older children experiment with a sprinkler or hose to make a rainbow. To experience the wind ■ Make a simple kite of paper with 3 feet of string attached securely (put end of string through pinhole, knot end, and secure with tape); let each child experiment with his own kite. ■ Tie crepe paper streamers to a stick to let the wind blow and to run with. Older children can experiment with streamers tied in a stationary place and watch which way the wind blows streamers from day to day.
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■ Use scarves for dancing outside. ■ Use toy sailboats in a large pan or tub of water to see how they move in the wind. ■ Listen for the sounds of wind through the trees and around buildings.
WIND WORDS Read The Wind by Robert Louis Stevenson. Create a windy day with an electric fan. Or take the children outside on a windy day. Have them close their eyes and feel the wind in their faces and at their backs. Hold up a strip of tissue and watch its movements. Encourage the children to call out words that describe how the wind feels to them and how it moves.
SPRING AESTHETICS—SCIENCE The natural changes in the world in the spring are wonderful topics for aesthetic experiences. The following science activities will help children focus on the exciting things happening in the world around them in the spring. ■ Planting an outdoor garden or planting seeds in small flower pots for windowsill observation of growing process ■ Planting seeds—vegetable or flower—in the classroom ■ Observation of the stages of growth of a plant, such as a fruit tree, during the spring
■ Seeds such as beans and alfalfa sprouted and eaten ■ Study and observation of kinds of flowers—colors, shapes, smells, and growth patterns noted ■ Study and observation of animal babies—their names, the sounds they make, what they eat, whether they are dependent on their mother ■ Study of birds and what they do in the spring
DANDELIONS In spring dandelions are everywhere, and children not only notice them but touch them, note their color, count them, and pick them. Dandelions seed early, rapidly, and in great quantity. They grow fast and recover from damage quickly and powerfully! So children may pick them, dig them up, and tear them apart. Respect for nature is an important aspect of learning about the environment, but exceptions to rules exist in every field of study. Weeds are exceptions because of their hands-on study value for young children. Ask the children if they ever noticed that dandelions let out a milky juice when picked? Or that the stem is hollow? Rub the flower on paper to obtain a yellow pigment, or create a “duplicate” dandelion by rubbing flower, stem, leaves, and soil on the paper. How fast do the dandelions in a lawn grow after being cut? Try watching and measuring. How deep do the roots of a dandelion go? Why not dig up some dandelions and compare which is the longest? Early French explorers named this weed “dent-delion,” mispronounced by the English as “dandelion.” The original means “tooth of the lion” and refers to the leaves. Can you see and feel “teeth” on the leaves? If you cut several leaves from the plant and superimpose one upon another, you will recognize the diversity of shapes.
AESTHETIC OBSERVATIONS— FLOWERS
FIGURE 28–7
Talking about and experiencing the colors of the seasons encourages children’s painting.
Children notice the first arrivals of flowers in spring. They are keen observers of nature, not yet oblivious to its ever changing beauty. They may enjoy making their own creative versions of spring flowers. Suitable papers for flower making include newsprint, construction paper, tissue paper, foil, cellophane, and gift wrapping. Other materials are also useful, such as paper cupcake liners, small frozen pie tins, paper cups, toweling tubes, and egg cartons. Also provide pipe cleaners, toothpicks, wire, straws, and popsicle sticks. If children want to put their flower creations in
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pera paint onto a piece of paper (typing paper works well). Using a straw, the child blows the paint in any way or direction. Ask how it looks when he blows gently? Hard? When the wind blows it?
Shaving cream painting. Children enjoy playing with foamy shaving cream any time of the year. In the spring, add some dry tempera paint to the shaving cream. Children can mix the paint up with the foam on a cookie sheet, on the tabletop, or on a piece of shiny finger paint paper. They may simply want to experience the wonderful sensation of playing with the shaving cream. Some may want to draw with it. The object is, however, to enjoy the sensations of touch, sight, and smell.
KITES FIGURE 28–8
Children explore the world actively, experiencing it aesthetically.
containers, have on hand small discarded flower pots, egg cartons, and paper cups.
SPRING MURALS After a walk in the rain, a dance in the wind, or another spring experience, plan a group mural. After coming inside, discuss what was seen, heard, tasted, and felt. Discuss with the children things that can be included in a group mural. Each child decides what they will make for the mural. Then, the children create individual works, representing their personal experiences. These pictures and designs can be glued onto one large sheet of paper.
What is better on a windy spring day than kite flying? To make a kite, begin with a piece of 12” x 18” construction paper, or use newsprint if a larger size is desired. The child makes a design or drawing. After the design is made in crayon or paint, the paper can be folded and stapled with all corners toward the center in a diamond shape. Strips of masking tape may be crisscrossed on the back for reinforcement and a string may be fastened in the center. A tail can be added using several bow ties of cloth or paper tied to a length of string. Smaller kites make colorful room decorations when used on bulletin boards or strung across open areas.
SPRING PAINTING IDEAS
Windswept. This activity is fun outside, but can also be done indoors. The child uses a spoon to put a dab of several colors of tempera paint onto a piece of construction paper. For interesting effects, have bright, primary colors, as well as white tempera paint available. The child uses a small piece of cardboard to push, pull, turn, and twist the paint all over the paper. Blowing, by the child (and the wind) will also create a unique, windswept appearance.
Blow painting.
Provide the child a small amount of watery tempera paint in a container and a plastic spoon. The child puts a small puddle of the watery tem-
FIGURE 28–9
Getting ready for a field trip is exciting for children. Excursions in the outdoors allow children opportunities to experience the aesthetic beauty of the changing seasons.
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SPRING EXPERIENCES FOR OLDER CHILDREN Spring sketches. Have students take a sketchbook home and draw five to ten small patches of different textures that they find in nature. Under each patch, have students write down the name of the material from which the sketch was made (a tree, a rock, a piece of a leaf, etc.). Have the students use their sketches to create a colored and enlarged version of these textures on a 9” paper. Display and discuss the drawings.
Patterns in nature. Discuss regular and irregular patterns seen in plants, animals, and other natural forms in the spring. Some irregular patterns are found in the camouflage of animals. Structural patterns tend to be regular, as seen in shells, leaf veins, and many plants.
Visual elements. The visual elements in patterns can be mathematically varied in size, shape, position, and in the intervals of spacing between them. Computers provide an excellent way for students to explore the logic of making patterns. FIGURE 28–10
Playing outdoors, children are able to enjoy fun with others as well as the beauty of nature.
A RAINBOW IN YOUR ROOM Make a rainbow in the classroom. All that is needed is a glass of water and a sunny day. (Be sure to use a clear glass. The wider the mouth, the better.) When the glass is placed in sunlight, there should be a rainbow where the shadow would fall. What is made is a simple prism, which can be used in lessons about the color spectrum. Point out to the children that a rainbow forms outdoors when drops of water in the air act as prisms.
Forms of letters. Have students create letter forms by printing them with objects. Almost all letters of the alphabet can be created from straight lines (edge of tongue depressor or cardboard), circles (bottle caps or spools) and half circles (rubber washers cut in half). Students can also use this printing technique to illustrate an original poem. Group objects. Have four or five students work in a group, using the objects from the above activity (cardboard, bottle caps, spools, and rubber washers cut in half). They will share their printing objects to make a picture. Brainstorm creative ways to use the objects
SPRING SIGNS Discuss the look, feel, sound, and smell of spring and the other seasons as they happen. How do the children know that it is spring in their neighborhood? By the green grass and pussy willows? Mud? Reruns on television? Different clothes? Baseball? Divide the bulletin board into four areas: “My Eyes See Spring,” “I Feel Spring,” “I Hear Spring,” “My Nose Knows It Is Spring.” Have the children draw pictures to illustrate each theme.
FIGURE 28–11
Children use all of their senses in their aesthetic enjoyment of nature.
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land. Georgia O’Keeffe thought that forms and colors of the desert and nearby mountains were beautiful. Guide students to see the delicate shading and rhythmic curves that fill the whole painting. Discuss how the painting makes them feel about the place depicted. As a follow-up activity, have students create a picture of a landscape on a planet no one has seen. Have them use warm or cool colors to show and express the feelings of the people.
Color awareness. Have students cut out several geometric shapes from gray paper and glue them onto a background of the same color. Display the work. Discuss how the shapes are “lost” when viewed from a distance. Have the students use a pencil to add value changes or textures to “reveal” each shape. Discourage outlining of the shapes. Display and discuss the revised drawings. Go outside and observe the leaves in the trees. How do the leaves blend into one another? Is this the same as the gray shapes on the gray paper? Why is this so?
FIGURE 28–12
Getting dressed for walks outside is an excellent time to talk about the changing weather.
they have (e.g., repeated circles become animal shapes, edges of cardboard become repeated blades of grass, etc.) Display these pictorial prints so that others in the room can see them.
Georgia O’Keeffe’s The Mountain, New Mexico. Obtain an art print of this work. It is an excellent example of a landscape and varieties of warm and cool colors. If this print is not available, any other landscape with warm and cool colors will suffice. Briefly review the concept that colors are an important way to express moods and feelings in art. Point out that many color words help people to tell about feelings. Examples: feeling blue, green with envy, red or purple with rage. Explain that artists often refer to these color qualities as warm or cool. These terms can mean that a color is used to show warm things (a fire), or cool things (a lake). More often, the artist also remembers that colors help to express feelings. Explain that the warm colors in this painting show the red earth of mountains in New Mexico, but they also help to express the artist’s warm feelings about the
Shadows. Use the tree drawings made earlier in this chapter. Explain that shadows are created by a definite source of light such as the sun. Students need not draw a sun to show the source of sun in their drawings. Instead, they can simply decide if shadows will be on the left or right side of the tree in their drawings. (The implied light source is on the opposite side.) Encourage students to be inventive with lines and shading so that textures of trees, bark, and leaves show up in their drawings. Point out that clumps of leaves will have shading on the same side as the shadows on the tree trunk. While the students work, help them to concentrate on the “logic” of shading. You might have students look out a window if shadows are prominent. Or you might pause several times and illuminate objects in the room so that students can see shadows. Most students can produce inventive shading.
THE AESTHETICS OF SUMMER Summer is a time for growing. Young children are very aware of the ever-new earth around them. See with the children the many features of the summer. ■ the tiny world of ants ■ the large and tiny wildflowers ■ the colors and shapes of the clouds ■ the rainbow after a summer shower ■ the ladybug crawling up a flower stem
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FIGURE 28–13
Touching and feeling modeling material is an exercise in the aesthetics of touch.
Experience with the children all these things and many more during the summer. Talk with the children about them. This will help them develop and extend their aesthetic appreciation of the world in the summertime. Summer is an excellent time for being aware of nature, since both children and adults spend much more time outside. Summer is the time when children learn to appreciate, love, and care for their environment by observing adults. When adults handle tree buds, flowers, or insects gently and with respect, children begin to comprehend the value of nature. Short, simple directives such as, “If it’s attached, please leave it attached,” or “We need to leave nature the way we found it,” and if it is alive, “Let’s be scientists and observe,” can be understood by even a very young child and will be followed if the adult models them. Observing insects is fun! Children find their bizarre, unique behavior fascinating. They are common in just about every environment and are easy to find. Stay near one spot and usually they allow you to get quite close. One method of finding insects is to go to an area where there is a variety of plants, such as a field, woods, or garden, and sit in one place for several minutes. Look closely at the plants around you. Soon you will see insects crawling on leaves, flying about, or even landing on you. Observe their social behavior, the interactions between individuals of the same species. It usually involves some form of communication. For example, ants may touch antennae, and fireflies may “light up” to attract mates.
Observe their hunting behavior. Some insects are active hunters like the robber fly, which darts out from perches to catch other insects in midair. But insects can be passive hunters. They wait, usually camouflaged, for their next meal. Observe, if you can, the camouflaged insects. They may be disguised as a twig, green leaf, dead leaf, or thorn. Poke and pick around in lawn grass. There’s a lot of life down there! Observe how insects defend themselves. They are breakfast, lunch, and dinner to a lot of creatures and many of them have developed some interesting ways to protect themselves from being eaten. Some have coats or armor; others have weapons such as the hairs on caterpillars, which are like needles with an irritating chemical. Of course, there are the well-known stingers that bees and wasps use as their defenses. Grasshoppers jump out of harm’s way. Even when insects are not present, evidence of their activity can nearly always be found. You may find anthills, beehives, egg cases, and holes in leaves. Close examination of fallen leaves might reveal that various insects made quite different holes. Some insects eat out nice, neat little holes; other take big, irregular chomps; and still others, like picky eaters, eat only the soft, tasty tissue, leaving the veins.
SUMMER EXPERIENCES FOR CHILDREN SPONGE CREATIONS Pieces of cut-up sponges provide young children another opportunity for creating. Provide them with full-sized rectangular sponges, as well as smaller pieces, cut into shapes such as a circle, square, oval, triangle, etc. These can be glued together to create “floatable” creations for use in the tub or wading pool.
CHILDREN’S OUTDOOR ART SHOW What could be more fun on a summer day than an outdoor art show? In addition to displaying the children’s work on tables, walls, and portable easels, include some of these ideas. ■ pictures drawn with colored chalk on the sidewalk ■ colorful string or yarn woven in a fence ■ large sculptures created with giant discards ■ pictures hung from a line with clothespins ■ areas where children can draw or paint while their art show is in progress
CHAPTER 28 Seasons: Aesthetic Awareness
TIE-DYE Materials: large pan of warm water marbles rubber bands pieces of old sheets, undershirts, or cloth squares to use as a scarf liquid dye Fill a large pot one-third full of warm water. Add the liquid dye and stir. The brightness of the color will depend on how much dye you add. Show children how to tie-dye by placing marbles inside the cloth and fastening them with a rubber band. (Adults may need to tighten the rubber bands.) Tie several marbles into the cloth at different places, then quickly dip the cloth in the dye. Remove the rubber bands and show the children that the area under the rubber band is not dyed. It’s best to do this activity outdoors to avoid spilling the dye on the carpet or furniture. (See Figure 28–14.)
BUBBLE PAINTING Enhance your summer art program with bubble painting. Make bubble solution by pouring 2 ⁄3 cup of liquid detergent into a gallon container. Add 1 tablespoon food coloring and enough water to fill the container; let the solution sit for a few hours before using. Put in clear jars or glasses, and add liquid food coloring or tempera in primary colors. Form secondary colors by mixing. Experiment with further color mixtures. Compare the
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bubbles you can make with these colored solutions to bubbles made with plain solution. Make an interesting spatter design by blowing the colored bubbles over absorbent paper.
SPONGE PRINTING Another use for cut-up sponge pieces is in printing activities. Include these pieces of sponge, cut into varied shapes, in your printing supplies. For summer printing, include bright colors of tempera paint along with the sponge pieces. Be sure to include yellow and white tempera paints for those who are inspired to print “dandelion-like” designs.
ADDITIONAL ART EXPERIENCES Some other ideas include: ■ painting with weeds for brushes. ■ blot painting with white paint to represent clouds on gray or blue paper to represent the sky. ■ flowers made out of nut cups, using pipe cleaners for stems; stems placed in clay base in paper cup. ■ sponge painting of sunrise or sunset. ■ collage of summer—sand, shells, rocks, pebbles, grass. ■ painting rocks. ■ child-made hats decorated for a summer outdoor parade. ■ painting with water outside. ■ having an art show of the children’s work.
SUMMER SCIENCEAWARENESSS In summer the world of nature abounds with opportunites for aesthetic awareness. Some of these opportunities are to ■ study and observe shadows. ■ study, observe, and grow seeds and plants. ■ study and observe ants, caterpillars, spiders. ■ study the life cycle of a frog. ■ study and observe flowers, clouds, and sunlight and its effect on growing plants.
SUMMER EXCURSIONS FIGURE 28–14
Tie-dying.
To help increase children’s aesthetic appreciation of summer, to plan for some trips outside the classroom.
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Trip ideas include: ■ a beach or swimming pool for wading and water experiences ■ a picnic for enjoying food and nature ■ a backyard garden for planting, caring for, and enjoying plants ■ the zoo to enjoy the patterns, designs, and variety in the animal kingdom ■ a outdoor walk to see summer beauty all around
AFTER A ZOO TRIP—CONTINUED AWARENESS All the excitement and beauty of a zoo trip can be continued in the classroom after the trip. Here are some ways to extend the children’s aesthetic awareness of the zoo trip in some classroom activities. ■ Sort through the photos you took and encourage the children to help put them in order, tell stories about them, and put their drawings and words together with the photos to make an “experience story,” mural, or class book. ■ Over the next few days, continue to read zoo animal books and reexamine the posters, records, or films you used before your trip. Children love repetition and will now have real experiences to relate to these materials. ■ Be sure to allow lots of opportunities for followup activities in all areas of the curriculum. Make zoo animal-shaped cookies for snacks, do creative movement activities about animals, have a paperbag animal parade, and tape-record children’s accounts of the trip. Set up the dramatic play area as a “petting zoo,” with stuffed animals or paper-bag animal costumes or even as the bus you rode to the zoo, and encourage the children to make thank-you cards to give to parents who accompanied them on the trip. FUN DANDELIONS When you and the children are out on a summer nature walk, pick dandelions. Encourge the awareness of them by trying these activities. ■ Using your thumbnail, slit the sides of dandelion stems down th the ends. Dip the stems in water to make “curls” and wear them tucked over your ears. ■ Hold a dandelion in your fist and use your thumb to flip off the flower head. (Save the flowers to make a “floating garden” in a bowl of water.) ■ Start a dandelion chain by slitting the stem of one
dandelion and pulling the stem of another dandelion through the slit. Continue the process until you have a long chain. ■ Blow seeds from the dandelion tops. Talk about how they look, feel, and fly. ■ Encourage children to think of other fun things they can do with their dandelions.
SUMMER EXPERIENCES FOR OLDER CHILDREN PICTUREBOOKS AS INSPIRATION Read the story Bringing the Rain to Kapiti Plain by Verna Aardema (1981), but do not show the illustrations to the students. Discuss parts of the story that refer to the rain. Reread these passages. Have the students illustrate the coming of the rain. Remind then to use different kinds of lines to depict wind and rainy weather. (Wavy lines, slanting lines, etc.) Display their artwork. Reread the story showing the illustrations. Have students compare their work and the work of the author/illustrator.
STORYTELLING AND ART Discuss the importance of storytelling and artwork for communicating ideas. In many cultures, artwork is used to illustrate stories (Inuit rawhide cutouts, Polish stencil prints, Nigerian relief wood carvings, American cartoons, etc.). Then read selected passages from the book Meet Matisse by Nelly Munthe (1983). Discuss selected illustrations with the students, and how Matisse—and all artists—are constantly faced with making choices about what to include in an artwork, and what to leave out.
CLASS MURAL As a follow-up to the above activity, have everyone help create a class mural. This will give them an opportunity to experience artistic decisions on what to include and what to leave out. Select a story or theme (circus, summer fun, transportation, etc.). Have students cut a variety of shapes—large and small—related to the theme. Smaller shapes should be about as large as one of their hands. Add crayon details to the shapes, then paste them onto the mural paper. Paste the largest shapes first. Mural making may take two or three class periods. During this experience, have the children discuss what is important to include and what could be left out of their mural. Reinforce that this is an artistic decision.
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BANNERS AS ARTISTIC EXPRESSION
AESTHETIC AWARENESS—LIGHT
Have students make banners for the school. Discuss and list things that make your school a positive and special place. Assign each student one positive attribute of the school. Have them draw and cut out an appropriate symbol for this attribute and paste it onto a large piece of paper placed on the floor. Remind students that the banner will be displayed vertically, and to place their work accordingly. Present the banners to the principal and ask if they can be displayed in the hall or cafeteria for everyone to see. Increase students’ multicultural awareness by sharing with them the background of banners. Banners of varied kinds have been created to identify groups to others, and often to remind people of their own history. For example, the Dahomey tribe in western Africa has made applique banners for over 200 years. The banners’ most important function is to tell the history of the tribe. Brightly colored images are sewn onto a black or gold background to tell of heroic deeds. Once, only Dahomey kings could possess the history banners, but now they are copied and made for tourists to buy.
On a sunny day, direct a beam of light through a prism onto a white piece of paper. Have students take turns describing the colors. With white paper and crayons, have them record the colors using yellow and green to achieve a yellow-green; red and purple, to achieve a red-purple and so on. Guide them to see that these colors are similar to a color wheel.
STAINED GLASS—AWARENESS OF LIGHT Find a book illustrating stained-glass windows in Medieval cathedrals in Europe such as Chartres and Notre Dame. Discuss how the windows were made, their purposes (teaching people and inspiring them to pray), and what meanings they may have for people today. Then tie this into a more modern day glassmaker, Louis Comfort Tiffany. Tiffany was the son of the founder of Tiffany and Co., a New York company specializing in making jewelry and metal crafts. Louis was trained as a painter, but became best known as the developer of stained-glass windows, lamps, and vases for homes in the United States. He experimented with new ways to color glass and shape it into sculptural forms as well as windows with qualities of paintings. Imitations of his work are often seen in restaurants and stores. Students may enjoy drawing or painting their own versions of summer-inspired stained-glass creations.
AESTHETIC AWARENESS— VAN GOGH’S IRISES Obtain an art print of this work by Van Gogh. Discuss with children the repetition of the triangular shapes of the iris leaves and the shapes of flowers. Ask if the shapes are exactly alike (they aren’t). Discuss how Van Gogh changed the shapes a little each time. These variations help us see differences in each plant. They also add more interest to a work of art. Have students identify comparable variations in the colors of the flowers and leaves. Some children may enjoy creating their own summer flowers using these subtle variations to add interest to their work.
OPTICAL ILLUSIONS—A DIFFERENT WAY OF SEEING FIGURE 28–15
Older children also enjoy challenging activities that involve the senses of sight and touch.
Ask the students to find library books that have optical illusions. These books are usually in the science or art section of a library. Have the students look for exam-
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ples of optical illusions based on positive and negative shapes or “hidden figures.” Have the students select one of their favorite examples and try to create an original artwork based on the illusion.
APPRECIATION OF STILL LIFE Early Dutch still life painters liked to paint things that appealed to the five senses (sight, sound, smell, taste, and touch). Have students cut pictures from magazines that represent the five senses (e.g., a beautiful scene [not a still life item], a musical instrument, a rose, a cake, and a fuzzy toy) and arrange the cutouts in a photo-collage still life.
Forte, I. (1999). Fall fancies. Nashville, TN: Incentive Publications. Forte, I. (1999). Spring sparkers. Nashville, TN: Incentive Publications. Forte, I. (1999). Winter winner: To perk up primary programs. Nashville, TN: Incentive Publications. Lasky, L., & Mukerji, R. (1980). Art: Basic for young children. Washington, DC: NAEYC. Schiller, M. (1995). An emergent art curriculum that fosters understanding. Young Children, 50(3), 33–38. Seefeldt, C. (1995). Art—A serious work. Young Children 45(3), 39–45. Swamson, L. (1994). Changes—How our nursery school replaced adult-directed art projects with child-directed experiences and changed to an accredited, child-sensitive, developmentally appropriate school. Young Children, 49(4), 69–73.
SUMMER COLLAGE Have students make a collage of summer from magazine pictures. Encourage them to choose large, brightly colored images that will overlap and cover the entire paper. Photocopy the collages and mount each next to the original work. Compare and contrast the original colored collage to the photocopy, noting how dominant shapes may show more readily in black and white. Have students discuss which image they prefer and why.
REFERENCES Aardema, V. (1981). Bringing the rain to Kapiti Plain. New York: Dial. Asch, F. (1982). Happy birthday, moon. Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice-Hall. Lionni, L. (1966). Frederick. New York: Pantheon. Munthe, N. (1983). Meet Matisse. Boston: Little Brown & Co. Stevenson, R. L. (1994). Child’s garden of verses. New York: Harry N. Abrams.
ADDITIONAL READINGS Clemens, S. G. (1991). Art in the classroom: Making every day special. Young Children, 46(2), 4–11. Dever, M. T., & Jared, E. J. (1996). Remember to include art and crafts in your integrated curriculum. Young Children, 51(3), 69–73. Edwards, L. C., & Nabors, M. L. (1993). The creative arts process: What it is and what it is not. Young Children, 48(3), 77–81. Engel, B. S. (1995). Considering children’s art: Why and how to value their works. Washington, DC: NAEYC. Feeney, S., & Moravcik, E. (1987). A thing of beauty: Aesthetic development in young children. Young Children ,42 (6), 7–15.
BOOKS FOR CHILDREN–FALL PRESCHOOL Berenstain, S., & Berenstain, J. (2000). That stump must go! New York: Random House. Brenner, B. (1998). The tremendous tree book. Honesdale, PA: Boyds Mills Press. Bunting, E. (1994). Night tree. New York: Harcourt Brace. Cuomo, M. M. (1999). The blue spruce. Chicago: Sleeping Bear Press. Davis, N. M., Moon, T. S., Homer, K. B., & Rich, L. T. (1999). Fall & September. San Francisco: Da Na Publications Drawson, B. (1996). Mary Margaret’s tree. New York: Orchard Books. Edwards, R. (1993). Ten tall oak trees. New York: Morrow. Gove, D. (1998). My mother talks to trees. Atlanta: Peachtree Publishers. Hunt, A. E. (1999). A tale of three trees: A traditional folktale. New York: Chariot Victor. Hurwitz, J. (1998). Starting school. New York: Morrow. Keane, G. (1999). Adam raccoon at forever falls. New York: Chariot Victor. Mamchur, C. (1998). The popcorn tree. San Francisco, CA: General Distribution Services. Morrison, G. (2000). Oak tree. Boston: Houghton Mifflin. Romanova, N. (1989). Once there was a tree. New York: Penguin. Stryker, S., & Maeno, I. (1988). Tonia the tree. Chicago: Advocacy Press. Tiffault, B. (1995). Real stuck, way up. New York: Barron’s. Tunnell, M. E. (1999). Halloween pie. New York: Lothrop. Warnes, T. (1998). We love preschool. Brookfield, CT: Millbrook.
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KINDERGARTEN—GRADE 3 Angel, C. (1994). Wind spins me around in the fall (Vol. 3). Gardiner, ME: Tilbury House. Bang, M. (1994). One fall day. New York: Greenwillow. Bernhard, E. (1994). Eagles: Lion of the sky. New York: Holiday House. Causse, C. (1992). Albatros (Albatross). Madrid: Ediciones S. M. Chanin, M., & Smith, S. J. (1994). Grandfather four winds and rising moon. Minneapolis, MN: Starseed Press. Good, E. W. (1994). Fall is here! I love it! New York: Good Books. Kelley, M. (1998). Fall is not easy. Berkeley, CA: Zino Press. Krensky, S. (1989). Lionel in the fall. New York: Penguin/Putnam. Law, F. (1986). My day at school! Milwaukee, WI: Gareth Stevens. Levinsohn, R. (1994). Soon, Annala. New York: Orchard Books. Lionni, L. (1970). Frederick. New York: Pantheon. Maguire, M. (1990). Hopscotch, hangman, hot potato, ha, ha, ha: A rulebook of children’s games. Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice Hall. Oppenheim, J. (1995). Have you seen trees? New York: Scholastic. Phillips, L. S. (1996). First leaf of fall, (Vol. 500). Chicago: Windswept House. Pinkney, G. J. (1994). The Sunday outing. New York: Dial Books. Seymour, T. (1994). Hunting the white cow. New York: Orchard Books. Slawson, M. B. (1994). Apple picking time. New York: Crown. Sonneborn, B. (1995). Without words. New York: Sierra Club. Spetter, J. H. (1999). Lily and trooper’s fall. Asheville, NC: Front Street. Stevens, J. (1995). Coyote steals the blanket: A Ute tale. New York: Holiday House. Stevenson, J. (1995). The worst goes south. New York: Greenwillow. Woodworth, V. (1997). Do cows turn colors in the fall? Chicago: Child’s World. GRADES 4–5 Chapman, G. (1997). Autumn. New York: Raintree. Duquennoy, J. (1999). Operation ghost. New York: Harcourt. George, K. O. (1998). Old elm speaks: Tree poems. Boston: Houghton Mifflin. Giono, J. (1997). The man who painted trees. New York: HarperCollins. Hazen, B. S. (1999). The secret life of trees. New York: Penguin. Henrie, T. (1998). The shaping. New York: Penguin.
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Iverson, D. (1999). My favorite tree: Terrific trees of North America. Nevada City, CA: Dawn Publications. Jackson, J., & McHugh, J. (1997). Most beautiful tree in the forest. Palo Alto, CA: Kinder House Publishing. Maestro, B. C. (1993). How do apples grow? New York: HarperCollins. Markle, S. (1991). Exploring autumn: A season of science activities, puzzles, and games. New York: Atheneum. Morrison, G. (2000). Oak tree. Boston: Houghton Mifflin. Roche, L. (1999). The proud tree. Chicago: Ligouri Press. Russell, C. Y. (1999). The lichee tree. Honesdale, PA: Boyds Mills Press. Taylor, J., & Lisle, T. (1999). The great dimple oak, (Vol. 1). New York: Penguin/Putnam. Taylor, M. D., & Pinkney, J. (1997). Song of the trees. New York: Doubleday Dell. Townsend, P. L. (1999). The father of all trees. New York: Life’s Footprints. Waldman, N. (1997). The never-ending greenness. New York: Morrow. Wirth, V. (1991). Whisper from the woods. New York: Simon & Schuster.
WINTER PRESCHOOL Brown, M. S. (1995). Animals in the snow. New York: Hyperion. Bushell, I., & Bushell, J. (1994). Tales of Alexander panda. New York: Barron’s. Carr, J. (1999). Frozen noses. New York: Holiday House. Demarest, C. L. (1996). Winter. New York: Harcourt Brace. Evans, L. (1997). Snow dance. Boston: Houghton Mifflin. Gammell, S. (1997). Is that you, winter? New York: Harcourt Brace. George, L. B. (1999). In the snow: Who’s been here? New York: Morrow. Hill, E. (1997). Spot’s walk in the woods. New York: Penguin. Keats, E. J. (1962). Snowy day. New York: Viking. Repchuk, C. (1997). The snow tree. New York: Penguin. Rey, M. (1998). Curious George in the snow. Boston: Houghton Mifflin. Rius, M., & Parramon, J. M. (1998). Winter. New York: Barron’s. Root, P. (1999). Grandmother winter. Boston: Houghton Mifflin. Saunders-Smith, G. (1998). Warm clothes. Chicago: Children’s Press. Shulevitz, U. (1998). Snow. New York: Farrar, Straus, & Giroux. Sweet, M. (1999). On Christmas Day in the morning. New York: Candlewick.
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SECTION 8 Seasons
Waddell, M. (1996). You and me, little bear. New York: Candlewick. Weidner, K. (1999). My very first Winnie the Pooh: Pooh welcomes winter. New York: Disney Press. Yee, P. (1994). Baby penguin. New York: Viking. Yee, P. (1994). Winter rabbit. New York: Viking.
KINDERGARTEN–GRADE 3 Alexander, M. (1995). You’re a genius, Blackboard Bear. New York: Candlewick. Arnold, K. (1998). The adventures of snowwoman. New York: Holiday House. Bancroft, H. (1997). Animals in winter. New York: HarperCollins. Barklem, J. (1999). Winter story. New York: Simon & Schuster. Bodecker, N. M. (1998). Hurry, hurry, Mary dear. New York: Simon & Schuster. Butterworth, N. (1993). Una noche de nieve (One snowy night). Barcelona: Ediciones Destino. Ehlert, L. (1995). Snowballs. New York: Harcourt Brace. Florian, D. (1999). Winter eyes. New York: Greenwillow. George, J. C. (1994). Dear Rebecca, winter is here. New York: HarperCollins. Gibbons, G. (1994). Wolves. New York: Holiday House. Grundman, T. (1998). Winter games. New York: Disney Press. Hoestlandt, J. (1995). Star of fear, star of hope. New York: Walker. Hubbard, C. (1999). The westie winter. New York: Scholastic. Kurtz, J. (1994). A fire on the mountain. New York: Simon & Schuster. Lionni, L. (1966). Frederick. New York: Pantheon. Matthews, C. (1999). While the bear sleeps: Winter tales and traditions. New York: Penguin. Repchuk, C. (1997). The snow tree. New York: Dutton. Rylant, C. (1997). Henry and Mudge in the sparkle days. New York: Simon & Schuster. Stewart, P. (1998). A little bit of winter. New York: HarperCollins. Wilder, L. I. (1995). Winter days in the big woods. New York: HarperCollins. Yeoman, J. (1987). The bear’s water picnic. New York: Atheneum. GRADES 4–5 Bauer, M. D. (1999). An early winter. Boston: Houghton Mifflin. Brimmer, L. D. (1998). Snowboarding. New York: Bantam. Chapman, G. (1997). Winter. Chatham, NJ: Raintree. Durbin, W. (1999). Wintering. New York: Delacorte Press. Freedman, R. (1997). An Indian winter. New York: Holiday House. Gregory, K. (1996). The winter of red snow: The Revolutionary War diary of Abigail Jane Stewart. New York: Scholastic.
Grundman, T. (1998). Winter games. New York: Disney Press. Horwood, W. (1996). The willows in winter. New York: St. Martin’s Press. Hyman, T. (1999). Winter poems, (Vol. 1). New York: Scholastic. Iguchi, B. (1997). The young snowboarder. New York: DK Publishing. McKenna, L. (1998). The fantastic book of snowboarding. Brookfield, CT: Millbrook. Paul, K. (1997). Winnie in winter. New York: Oxford Press. Paulsen, G. (1998). Brian’s winter. New York: Bantam Books. Paulsen, G. (1998). The winter room. New York: Bantam Books. Riddles, L. (1997). Storm run. Boulder, CO: Paws Four Publishing. Rogasky, G. (1999). Winter poems. New York: Scholastic. Rylant, C. (1999). Special gifts. New York: Simon & Schuster. Shahan, S. (1996). Dashing through the snow: The story of the junior Iditarod. Brookfield, CT: Millbrook. Van Steenwyk, D. (1999). Three dog winter. New York: Random House. Yolen, J. (1997). Once upon ice: And other frozen poems. Honesdale, PA: Boyds Mills Press. Yolen, J. (1998). Snow, snow: Winter poems for children. Honesdale, PA: Boyds Mills Press.
SPRING PRESCHOOL Alarcon, F. X. (1997). Laughing tomatoes and other spring poems. Chicago: Children’s Press. Barklem, J. (2000). Spring story. New York: Simon & Schuster. Bassachs, A. G., & Garbayo, M. M. (1999). Spring. New York: Barron’s. Berenstain, S., & Berenstain, J. (1999). Berenstain bears spring fling (Vol. 1). New York: Random House. Bogacki, T. (1997). Cat and mouse in the rain. New York: Farrar, Straus & Giroux. Bornstein, R. L. (1997). Rabbit’s good news. Boston: Houghton Mifflin. Bourgeois, P. (1997). Franklin goes to school. New York: Scholastic. Brown, C. M. (1994). In the spring. New York: Greenwillow. Dunbar, J. (1999). Eggday. New York: Holiday House. Gomi, T. (1999). Spring is here. San Francisco: Chronicle Books. Hill, E. (1991). Spot goes to the park. New York: Putnam. Hunter, A. (1998). Possum and the peeper. Boston: Houghton Mifflin.
CHAPTER 28 Seasons: Aesthetic Awareness
Hurd, T. (1995). Blackberry ramble. New York: HarperCollins. Lee, H. V. (1998). In the park. New York: Holt. Lindbergh, R. (1997). North country spring. Boston: Houghton Mifflin. Phillips, L. S. (1996). The first tulip of spring. Chicago: Windswept House. Random House. (1999). P. J. Funnybunny: Spring fever! New York: Author. Rylant, C. (1998). Poppleton in spring. New York: Scholastic. Schlein, M., & Janovitz, M. (1998). Just like me. New York: Hyperion. Swindler, L. C. (2000). Big Bird brings spring to Sesame Street. New York: Random House. Talkington, B. (1998). Disney’s Winnie the Pooh Easter. New York: Disney Press. Westberg, L. (2000). Cold little duck, duck, duck. New York: Greenwillow. KINDERGARTEN–GRADE 3 Akass, S. (1995). Swim, number nine duckling. Honesdale, PA: Boyds Mills Press. Auch, M. J. (1995). Hen Lake. New York: Holiday House. Barklem, J. (2000). Spring story. New York: Simon & Schuster. Bernhard, D. (1994). The tree that rains: The flood myth of the Huichol Indians of Mexico. New York: Holiday House. Brown, C. (2000). Dutch sneakers and flea keepers: 14 more stories. Boston: Houghton Mifflin. Cole, B. (2000). Buttons. New York: Farrar, Straus & Giroux. Fleming, D. (1994). Barnyard banker. New York: Holt. Freymann, S., & Elffers, J. (2000). One lonely sea horse. New York: Arthur A. Levine. Haas, J. (1994). Mowing. New York: Greenwillow. Hale, S. J. (1995). Mary had a little lamb. New York: Orchard Books. Johnson, A. (1994). Rain feet. New York: Orchard Books. Joyce, W. (1992). Bentley and egg. New York: Harper Collins. Lester, A. (1994). My farm. Boston: Houghton Mifflin. Mora, P. (1994). Pablo’s tree. New York: Macmillan. Packard, M. (1999). The great Easter egg hunt. Breighton Beach, WI: Workman Publishing. Pfister, M. (1995). Hopper hunts for spring. Miami, FL: North-South Books. Polacco, P. (1998). Chicken Sunday. New York: Paper Star. Rockwell, A. F. (1996). My spring robin. New York: Simon & Schuster. Rosenberg, L. (1995). The carousel. New York: Harcourt Brace. Rylant, C. (1996). Henry and Mudge in puddle trouble. New York: Simon & Schuster.
■ 501
Spetter, J. H. (1999). Lily and Trooper’s spring. Asheville, NC: Front Street. Stevenson, J. (1995). All aboard! New York: Greenwillow. Stevenson. R. L. (1994). A child’s garden of verses. New York: Dover Publications. Thomassie, T. (1995). Feliciana feydra le roux: A Cajun tall tale. Boston: Little Brown. Thorpe, K. (1999). A spring has sprung. New York: Simon & Schuster. Turner, A. (1999). Red flower goes west. New York: Hyperion. Vaughn, M. K. (1995). Tingo tango mango tree. Morristown, NJ: Silver Burdette. GRADES 4–5 Agell, C. (1994). Mud makes me dance in the spring. Gardiner, ME: Tilbury House. Anderson, J. (1996). Batboy: An inside look at spring training. New York: Penguin/Putnam. Beach, J., & Spencer, K. (1996). Minds-on fun for spring. Columbus, OH: Fearon. Castleberry, S. B. (1999). In the spring of the year. Nashville, TN: Castleberry Farms Press. Chall, M. W. (2000). Sugarbush spring. New York: Lothrop. Chapman, G. (1997). Spring. Chatham, NJ: Raintree. Garrigue, S. (1994). The eternal spring of Mr. Ito. New York: Simon & Schuster. Gilmore, R. (2000). Mina’s spring of colors. London: Fitzhenry & Whiteside. Kalman, B. D. (1995). We celebrate spring. New York: Crabtree. Lerangis, P. (1996). Spring fever. New York: Scholastic. Love, D. A. (1997). Dakota spring. New York: Bantam Doubleday. Lowell, M. (1998). Spring break, (Vol. 9). Milwaukee: Gareth Stevens. Shearer, A. (1998). Professor Sniff and the lost spring breezes. New York: Orchard Books. Simon, S. (1996). Spring across America, (Vol. 1). New York: Hyperion. Tudor, T. (1998). The springs of joy. New York: Simon & Schuster. Webster, B. (1995). Spring. Parsippany, NJ: Silver Burdett. Williams, J. (1997). Spring science projects. Parsippany, NJ: Silver Burdett.
SUMMER PRESCHOOL Agell, C. (1995). I swam with a seal. New York: Gulliver. Barklem, J. (2000). Summer story. New York: Simon & Schuster.
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SECTION 8 Seasons
Bassachs, A., Galera, A., Garbayo, M. M., & Muelas, I. S. (1999). Summer. New York: Barron’s. Bourgeois, P. (1998). Franklin goes to day camp. New York: Scholastic. Carlstrom, D. (1988). Better not get wet, Jessie Bear. New York: Macmillan. Crews, N. (1995). One hot summer day. New York: Candlewick. Hartman, G. (1998). For sand castles or seashells. Minnepolis: Bradbury. Jonas, A. (1995). Splash! New York: Greenwillow. Leonard, M. (2000). Splish, splash! New York: HarperCollins. Mahy, M. (1994). The rattlebang picnic. New York: Dial Books. Mahy, M. (2000). A summery Saturday morning. New York: Penguin Putnam. Mathers, P. (1998). Lottie’s new beach towel. New York: Atheneum. Sheppard, J. (1994). Splash! Splash! New York: Macmillan. Yektai, N. (1996). Bears at the beach: Counting ten to twenty. Brookfield, CT: Millbrook.
KINDERGARTEN–GRADE 3 Armistead, J. (2000). The $66 summer. New York: Barron’s. Bruchac, J. (1994). The great ball game: A Muskogee story. New York: Dial Books. Coffelt, N. (1994). Tom’s fish. New York: Harcourt. Crews, D. (1995). One hot summer day. New York: Greenwillow. Crews, D. (1995). Sail away. New York: Greenwillow. Day, N. R. (1995). The lion’s whiskers: An Ethiopian folktale. New York: Scholastic. Diakite, B. W. (1999). The hatseller and the monkeys. New York: Scholastic. Finnegan, E. M. (1994). My little friend goes to a baseball game. Boston: Little Friend Press. Graham, K. (1977). The wind in the willows. New York: Charles Scribner’s Sons. Hesse, K. (1999). Come on, rain! New York: Scholastic. Hurwitz, J. (2000). Summer with Elisa. New York: Morrow. Knotts, B. (2000). The summer Olympics. Chicago: Children’s Press. O’Malley, K. (1995). Roller coaster. New York: Lothrop, Lee & Shepard. Riley, L. C. (1995). Elephants swim. Boston: Houghton Mifflin. Scieszka, J. (2000). Summer reading is killing me! New York: Penguin Putnam Books. Turner, A. (2000). Grasshopper summer. New York: Alladin. Walsh, E. S. (1994). Pip’s magic. New York: Harcourt Brace.
White, E. B. (1973). Charlotte’s web. New York: Harper & Row. Yee, B. S. (1999). Sand castle. New York: Greenwillow. Zoehfeld, K. W. (1994). What lives in a shell? New York: HarperCollins.
GRADES 4–5 Ardema, V. (1981). Bringing the rain to Kapit Plain. New York: Dial Books. Alarcon, F. X. (1998). From the bellybutton of the moon/Del imbligo de la luna: And other summer poems. Y otras poemas de verano. Chicago: Children’s Press. Brisson, P. (1998). The summer my father was ten. Honesdale, PA: Boyds Mills Press. Clark, K. (1999). Five flamingo summers. New York: Pocket Books. Conly, J. L. (1998). Trout summer. New York: Scholastic. Dessen, S. (1998). That summer. New York: Penguin Putnam. Garwood, J. (1998). A girl named Summer. New York: Simon & Schuster. Greene, B. (1999). Summer of my German soldier. New York: Penguin Putnam. Hall, D. (1994). The farm summer 1942. New York: Dial Books. Hesse, K. (1999). Come on, rain. New York: Scholastic. Hill, L. (1998). Xtreme mysteries #3: Rocked out: A summer X games special. New York: Hyperion. Katschke, J. (1999). The case of the summer camp caper. New York: HarperCollins. Knotts, B. (2000). The summer Olympics. Chicago: Children’s Press. Leigh, S. (1998). Usborne sandy land stables omnibus: A horse for the summer. Los Angeles: EDCP Publishing. Munthe, N. (1983). Meet Matisse. Boston, MA: Little, Brown & Co. Rawls, W. (1998). Summer of the monkeys. New York: Bantam Doubleday Dell. Raves, D. (1996). Baseball, snakes and summer squash: Poems about growing up. Honesdale, PA: Boyds Mills Press. Ryder, H. (1999). Wild horse summer. New York: Random House. Strasser, T. (1998). Help! I’m trapped in the first day of summer camp. New York: Scholastic. Yolen, J. (1999). Armageddon summer. New York: Harcourt Brace.
For additional creative activity resources, visit our Web site at www.EarlyChildEd.delmar.com.
APPE N DIX A Gross and Fine Motor Skills*
BY TWO YEARS GROSS MOTOR ■ ■ ■ ■
walks forward (average age 12 months) walks backward (average age 15 months) walks upstairs with help (average age 17 months) moves self from sitting to standing (average age 18 months) ■ seats self in small chair (average age 18 months) ■ uses rocking horse or rocking chair with aid (average age 18 months)
■ runs (stiffly) (average age 2 years) ■ hurls small ball overhand, one hand, without direc-
tion (average age 22 months) ■ pedals tricycle (average age 2 years)
FINE MOTOR ■ builds tower of six cube blocks (average age 23
months) ■ imitates circular motion with crayon, after demon-
stration (average age 2 years) ■ turns pages of book, one at a time (average age 2
years)
FINE MOTOR ■ builds tower of two blocks (average age 15 months) ■ builds tower of three or four blocks (average age 19 ■ ■ ■ ■ ■
months) places pellet in bottle (average age 15 months) places blocks in cup (average age 15 months) places four rings on peg or large pegs in pegboard (average age 18 months) imitates vertical line stroke (average age 20 months) turns pages of book, two or three at a time (average age 21 months)
BY TWO AND ONE-HALF YEARS
BY THREE YEARS GROSS MOTOR ■ walks up and down stairs without adult help, but ■ ■ ■ ■ ■
not alternating feet (average age 22 months) walks four steps on tiptoe (average age 21⁄4 years) jumps from bottom step (average age 2 years) walks backward 10 feet (average age 28 months) broad jumps 24–34 inches (average age 21⁄2 years) balances on one foot one second (average age 21⁄2 years)
FINE MOTOR ■ imitates vertical line from demonstration (average
age 22 months)
GROSS MOTOR
■ imitates vertical or horizontal line (average age 21⁄2
■ kicks ball forward (average age 20 months) ■ jumps in place (average age 23 months)
■ imitates V stroke from demonstration (average age
*90% of children at specific age level will have acquired skill. Adapted from Gesell, A., Ilg, F. L., Ames, L. B., & Rodell, J. L. (1974). Infant and child in the culture of today: The guidance of development in home and nursery school. New York: Harper and Row.
years) 21⁄2 years) ■ strings four beads in two minutes (average age 21⁄2 years) ■ folds paper (average age 21⁄2 years) ■ builds tower of seven or eight cubes (average age 21⁄4 years)
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APPENDIX A Gross and Fine Motor Skills
BY THREE AND ONE-HALF YEARS GROSS MOTOR ■ walks on tiptoe 10 feet (average age 3 years) ■ balances on one foot five seconds (average age 31⁄4
■ does forward somersault with aid (average age 31⁄2
years) ■ catches ball in arms, two of three tries (average
age 4) ■ catches bounced ball (average age 4 years) ■ heel to toe walk (average age 33⁄4 years) ■ jumps from height of 21⁄2 feet (average age 4 years)
years) FINE MOTOR
FINE MOTOR
■ imitates bridge of three blocks from demonstration
■ copies cross from picture model (average age 33⁄4
■ ■ ■ ■
(average age 3 years) copies circle from picture model (average age 3 years) imitates cross from demonstration (average age 3 years) closes fist, wiggles thumb (average age 35 months) picks longer of two lines (average age 3 years)
years) ■ draws a man, three parts (average age 4 years) ■ copies square from demonstration (average age 4 years)
BY FIVE YEARS BY FOUR YEARS
GROSS MOTOR
GROSS MOTOR
■ balances on one foot for 10 seconds (average age
■ hops, preferred foot (average age 3 ⁄2 years) ■ walks up stairs, one foot on each step, holding rail 1
■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■
(average age 31⁄2 years) walks downstairs, one step per tread (average age 31⁄2 years) throws ball with direction (average age 31⁄2 years) balances on toes (average age 31⁄2 years) jumps over rope 8″ high (average age 31⁄2 years) swings on swing independently (average age 31⁄2 years) jumps from height of 12 inches (average age 31⁄2 years) holds standing balance, one foot advanced; eyes closed, 15 seconds (one of two tries by 4 years)
■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■
41⁄2 years) hops on nonpreferred foot (average age 41⁄2 years) bounces ball two times successively with one hand (average age 41⁄2 years) catches large bounced ball, two of three tries (average age 4 years) somersaults forward without aid (average age 43⁄4 years) balances on tiptoes for 10 seconds, one of three tries (by age 5 years) jumps over cord at knee height, feet together, one of three tries (average age 41⁄2 years) walks heel to toe (average age 43⁄4 years) walks heel to toe, backward (average age 43⁄4 years) walks 2” × 4” balance beam, 3” off floor, without falling (average age 41⁄2 years)
FINE MOTOR
■ ■ ■
■ buttons up clothing (average age 3 years) ■ cuts with scissors (average age 33⁄4 years) ■ touches point of nose with eyes closed (by age 4,
FINE MOTOR
two of three tries) ■ puts 20 coins in a box, separately (by age 4, one of two tries)
BY FOUR AND ONE-HALF YEARS GROSS MOTOR ■ balances standing on one foot, five seconds (aver-
age age 31⁄4 years)
■ draws man, three parts (average age 4 years) ■ builds pyramid of six blocks after demonstration ■ ■ ■ ■
(average age 41⁄2 years) clenches and bares teeth (by age 5 years) draws diamond after demonstration (average age 41⁄2 years) copies square from picture model (average age 43⁄4 years) ties any knot that holds with lace (average age 5 years)
APPE N DIX B Language Development Objectives and Activities for Infants and Toddlers LEVEL Birth to 1 month
OBJECTIVE
ACTIVITY
1. To develop intimacy and awareness of communication based on personal contact. 2. To introduce the concept of oral communication. 3. To introduce verbal communication. 4. To stimulate interest in the process of talking.
1. Whisper into the child’s ear.
1 to 3 months
1. To develop oral communication. 2. To develop auditory acuity. 3. To develop the concept that different people sound different. 4. To develop the concept of oral and musical communication of feelings.
1. Imitate the sounds the child makes. 2. Talk to the child in different tones. 3. Encourage others to talk and coo to the child. 4. Sing songs of different mood, rhythms, and tempos.
3 to 6 months
1. To develop the concept of positive use of verbal communication. 2. To stimulate excitement about words. 3. To develop the concept that words and music can be linked. 4. To develop the ability to name things and events.
1. Reward the child with words.
1. To develop use of words and reinforce intimacy.
1. Talk constantly to the child and explain processes such as feeding, bathing, and changing clothes. 2. Name toys for the child as the child plays, foods and utensils as the child eats, etc. 3. Read aloud to the child, enthusiastically. 4. Describe sounds to the child as they are heard.
6 to 9 months
2. To develop the concept that things have names. 3. To develop the concept that there is joy in the written word. 4. To develop the concept that language is used to describe. 9 to 12 months
1. To develop the concept that body parts have names. 2. To reinforce the concept that things have names.
2. Coo at the child. 3. Talk to the child. 4. Let the child explore your mouth with his or her hands as you talk.
2. Talk expressively to the child. 3. Sing or chant to the child. 4. Describe daily rituals to the child as you carry them out.
1. Name parts of the body and encourage the child to point to them. 2. Describe and name things seen on a walk or an automobile trip.
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APPENDIX B Language Development Objectives and Activities for Infants and Toddlers
LEVEL
12 to 18 months
18 to 24 months
OBJECTIVE 3. To stimulate rhythm and interest in words. 4. To stimulate experimentation with sounds and words.
3. Repeat simple songs, rhymes, and fingerplays. 4. Respond to sounds the child makes, and encourage the child to imitate sounds.
1. To develop the ability to label things and follow directions. 2. To expand vocabulary and lay the foundation for later production of sentences. 3. To reinforce the concept of names and the ability to recognize names and sounds. 4. To encourage verbal communication. 5. To reinforce the concept of labels and increase vocabulary.
1. Link up various objects and, naming one, ask the child to get it. 2. Act out verbs (“sit,” “jump,” “run,” “smile,” etc.) 3. Use animal picture books and posters of animals.
1. To stimulate imitation and verbalization.
1. Tape-record the child and others familiar to the child, and play the tapes back for the child. 2. On a walk around the home or neighborhood with the child, point out and name familiar objects. 3. Play counting games, sing songs, and tell and retell familiar stories. 4. With the child, listen to the same recording of a story or song over and over.
2. To improve the ability to name objects.
3. To encourage repetition, sequencing, and rhythm. 4. To develop auditory acuity, passive vocabulary, and the concept of language constancy. 5. To stimulate verbalization, selectivity, and—eventually—descriptive language.
6. To stimulate conversation.
24 to 36 months
ACTIVITY
1. To practice descriptive language and build vocabulary.
2. To encourage verbalization, repetition, comprehension, and speaking in sentences. 3. To develop the concept of written symbols. 4. To encourage specific and descriptive language.
5. To increase understanding of the relation between spoken and written language, and to stimulate the use of both.
4. Let the child talk on a real telephone. 5. Describe things at home or outside on a walk or an automobile trip.
5. Cut out of magazines and mount on stiff cardboard: pictures of foods, clothing, appliances, etc. Have the child identify them as you show them. Use memorable descriptions: “orange, buttery carrots,” “the shiny blue car.” 6. With the child, prepare and eat a makebelieve meal. 1. Keep a box of scraps of materials and small objects. Have the child select objects, using words to describe them (“fuzzy,” “big,” “red,” etc.). 2. Ask the child: “Show me the floor,” “. . . the door,” etc. When the child points, say “Here’s the floor,” etc., and encourage the child to imitate you. 3. Label the child’s possessions. Use the child’s name repeatedly: “Mike’s bed,” “Mike’s toy chest.” 4. Ask “Which one?” when the child gives a single-word description, and expand on the child’s language (e.g., Child: “Cookie.” You: “Yes, this is a ginger cookie.”). 5. Call to the child’s attention familiar brand names or identifying symbols on products, buildings, and so on.
APPE N DIX C Basic Program Equipment and Materials for an Early Childhood Center Item
INDOOR EQUIPMENT
T
he early childhood room should be arranged into well-planned areas of interest, such as the housekeeping and doll corner, block building, etc. This encourages children to play in small groups throughout the playroom, engaging in activities of their special interest, rather than attempting to play in one large group. The early childhood center must provide selections of indoor play equipment from all the following areas of interest. Selection should be of sufficient quantities so that children can participate in a wide range of activities. Many pieces of equipment can be homemade. Consider the age and developmental levels of the children when making selections. PLAYROOM FURNISHINGS ■ tables—seat four to six children (18” high for three-
year-olds, 20”–22” high for four- and five-year-olds) ■ chairs—10” high for three-year-olds, 12”-14” high
for four- and five-year-olds
Number Recommended for 10 Children
Doll high chair 1 Small table, four chairs 1 set Tea party dishes 6-piece set with tray Stove—child size, 1 approximately 24” high, 23” long, 12” wide Sink—child size, 1 approximately 24” high, 23” long, 12” wide Refrigerator—child size, 1 approximately 28” high, 23” long, 12” wide Pots and pans, empty Variety food cartons, measuring cups, spoons, etc. Mop, broom, dustpan 1 Ironing board and iron 1 Clothespins and clothesline 1 Toy telephones 2 Dress-up box—men’s and Variety women’s hats, neckties, pocketbooks, shoes, old dresses, scarves, jewelry, etc. Mirror 1
■ open shelves—26” high, 12” deep, 12” between
ART SUPPLIES
shelves ■ lockers—12” wide, 12” deep, 32”–36” high
Item
HOUSEKEEPING OR DOLL CORNER Item
Number Recommended for 10 Children
Dolls Doll Clothes Doll bed—should be large enough for a child to get into, bedding
3 Variety 1
Newsprint paper 18” × 24” Colored paper—variety Large crayons Tempera paint—red, yellow, blue, black, white Long-handled paintbrushes— making a stroke from 1 ⁄2” to 1” wide Easels
Number Recommended for 10 Children 1 ream 3 packages 10 boxes 1 can each 10–12
1
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APPENDIX C Basic Program Equipment and Materials for an Early Childhood Center
Item
Number Recommended for 10 Children
Finger paint paper—glazed paper such as shelf, freezer, or butcher’s paper Paste Blunt scissors Collage—collection of bits of colored paper, cut-up gift wrappings, ribbons, cotton, string, scraps of fabric, etc., for pasting Magazines for cutting and pasting Clay—play dough, homemade dough clay Cookie cutters, rolling pins Smocks or aprons to protect children’s clothes
1 roll
1 quart 10 Variety
Variety 50 pounds Variety 10
FINGER PAINT RECIPES* 1. Starch and Soap Finger Paint 1 cup starch 1 tablespoon glycerine 11⁄2 cups boiling water (optional, makes it 1 ⁄2 cup soap flakes (not smoother) soap powder) Method: Mix starch with enough water to make smooth paste. Add boiling water and cook until glossy. Stir in soap flakes while mixture is warm. When cool, add glycerine and coloring (powder paint, poster paint, or vegetable coloring). 2. Flour and Salt Finger Paint, Cooked 2 cups flour 3 cups cold water 2 teaspoons salt 2 cups hot water Method: Add salt to flour, then pour in cold water gradually and beat mixture with egg beater until it is smooth. Add hot water and boil until it becomes glossy. Beat until smooth, then mix in coloring. 3. Flour and Salt Finger Paint, Uncooked 1 cup flour 1 cup water 11⁄2 teaspoons salt Method: Combine flour and salt, add water. This has a grainy quality unlike the other finger paints, providing a different sensory experience. 4. Argo Starch Finger Paint 1 ⁄2 cup boiling water 2 tablespoons Argo starch
6 tablespoons cold water
Method: Dissolve starch in cold water in cup. Add this mixture to boiling water, stirring constantly. Heat until it becomes glossy. Add color.
*Interesting smells can be obtained by adding different food flavorings (mint, cloves) or talcum powder to finger paint if desired.
5. Wheat Flour Finger Paint 3 parts water 1 part wheat flour Method: Stir flour into water, add food coloring. (Wheat flour can be bought at low cost in wallpaper stores or department stores.) 6. Tempera Finger Paint dry tempera paint
⁄2 cup liquid starch or ⁄2 cup liquid dishwashing detergent
1 1
Method: Mix the tempera paint with the starch or detergent, adding starch gradually until desired thickness is reached. Paint extender can also be added to dry tempera paint. 7. Easy Finger Painting clear liquid detergent dry tempera paint Method: Mark off sections on a table with masking tape the size of the paper to be used (newsprint works fine). Squirt liquid detergent on this section and add about 1 teaspoon of dry paint. After the picture has been made, lay the paper on the finger paint and rub. Lift off carefully. 8. Cold Cream Finger Paint Dry tempera paint can be mixed with most brands of cold cream. This is good for a first experience with a child reluctant to use colored paint with his fingers.
PASTE RECIPES 1. Bookmaker Paste 1 teaspoon flour 2 teaspoons salt 1 ⁄4 teaspoon powdered alum
1 heaping teaspoon oil of cloves 1 pint cold water
Method: Mix dry ingredients with water slowly, stirring out lumps. Slow fire; cook over double boiler until it thickens. 2. Hobby Craft Paste 3 ⁄4 cup water 2 tablespoons light Karo syrup 1 teaspoon white vinegar
⁄2 cup Argo starch ⁄4 cup water 1 ⁄4 teaspoon oil of wintergreen 1 3
Method: Combine first 3⁄4 cup water, corn syrup, and vinegar in a medium-sized saucepan; bring to a full boil. Stir cornstarch into second 3⁄4 cup water until smooth. Remove boiling mixture from heat. Slowly pour in cornstarch-water mixture, stirring constantly until smooth. If lumps form, smooth them out with back of spoon against side of saucepan. Stir in oil of wintergreen. May be used immediately but will set to paste consistency in 24 hours. Store in covered jar. Keeps two months. Makes about 21⁄2 cups.
APPENDIX C Basic Program Equipment and Materials for an Early Childhood Center
in about two to three minutes it should become so thick that it follows the spoon in mixing it. When the consistency is similar to bread dough, place on wax paper or aluminum foil to cool. When dough is cool enough to handle, knead for several minutes. It is then ready to use. To store for up to several days, wrap in wax paper or place in plastic bags.
3. Flour Paste Mix together: 1⁄4 cup flour cold water—enough to make creamy mixture Method: Boil over slow heat for 5 minutes, stirring constantly. Cool. Add cold water to thin if necessary. Add a few drops of oil of peppermint or oil of wintergreen. 4. Co-op Paste 1 cup sugar 1 tablespoon powdered alum
1 cup flour 1 quart water oil of cloves
6. Ornamental Clay (Suitable for Dried Objects) 1 cup cornstarch 11⁄4 cups water 2 cups baking soda Method: Cook ingredients together until thickened, either in double boiler or over direct heat—stir constantly. When it is cool enough, turn it out and let children knead dough and make it into whatever they wish. If used for ornaments, make hole for hanging ornament while dough is still moist.
Method: Mix and cook in double boiler until thick. Remove from heat and add 30 drops of oil of cloves. This mixture fills a juice container (8–10 oz.) about 3 ⁄4 full. Needs no refrigeration.
RECIPES FOR DOUGH AND OTHER PLASTIC MATERIALS 1. Cooked Dough 1 ⁄2 cup flour 1 ⁄2 cup cornstarch (blend with cold water)
2. Cooked Dough 4 tablespoons cornstarch 1 ⁄2 cup salt
⁄2 cup boiling water
1
Method: Mix cornstarch and salt. Add color if desired. Pour on boiling water, stir until soft and smooth. Place over fire until it forms a soft ball. In using, if it sticks to fingers, dust hands with cornstarch. 3. Sawdust and Wheat Flour 4 parts sawdust 1 part wheat flour Method: Make paste of wheat flour and water. Add sawdust. Presents interesting sensory appeal. 4. Uncooked Play Dough 3 cups flour 1 ⁄4 cup salt coloring
1 cup water 1 tablespoon oil
Method: Mix flour with salt; add water with coloring and oil gradually. Add more water if too stiff, add more flour if too sticky. Let the children help with the mixing and measuring. Keep dough stored in plastic bags or a covered container. 5. Salt Dough 1 cup salt 1 ⁄2 cup cornstarch
7. Baker’s Dough (Suitable for Dried Objects) 4 cups flour 1 to 11⁄2 cups water 1 cup salt Method: Mix ingredients to make a dough easy to handle. Knead, and shape as desired. Bake at 350° for 50 to 60 minutes. Material will brown slightly, but baking at lower temperatures is not as successful.
2 cups boiling water 1 ⁄2 cup salt
Method: Add salt to boiling water. Combine flour with cornstarch and water. Pour hot mixture into cold. Put over hot water and cook until glossy. Cool overnight. Knead in flour until right consistency, adding color with flour.
⁄4 cup cold water
3
Method: Combine all ingredients in a double boiler placed over medium heat. Stir the mixture constantly;
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BLOCK BUILDING AREA Item Unit blocks—purchased or homemade (directions are available) Large, lightweight blocks Small wooden or rubber animals and people Small trucks, airplanes, cars, and boats Medium airplanes Medium boats Medium-sized trucks— 12” to 24”
Number Recommended for 10 Children 276 pieces, 11 shapes
Variety Variety 12 3 2 3
MUSIC CORNER ■ ■ ■ ■
record player, tape player, CD player suitable records, tapes, and CDs rhythm instruments dress-up scarves for dancing
MANIPULATIVE TOYS Item Wooden inlay puzzles— approximately 5 to 20 pieces Color cone
Number Recommended for 10 Children 6 1
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Item
APPENDIX C Basic Program Equipment and Materials for an Early Childhood Center
Number Recommended for 10 Children
Nested blocks 1 Pegboards—variety of shapes and sizes 1 Large spools and beads for 2 sets stringing Toys that have parts that fit 2 into one another Lotto games 2 Dominoes 1
BOOKS AND STORIES (20–30 BOOKS) A carefully selected book collection for the various age levels should include the following categories. ■ transportation, birds and animals, family life ■ community helpers, science, nonsense rhymes ■ Mother Goose rhymes, poems, and stories ■ homemade picture books ■ collection of pictures classified by subject ■ library books to enrich the collection NATURE STUDY AND SCIENCE ■ ■ ■ ■ ■
aquarium or fish bowls plastic materials magnifying glass, prism, magnet, thermometers growing indoor plants, garden plot additional material such as stones, leaves, acorns, birds’ nests, caterpillars, worms, tadpoles, etc.
WOODWORKING CENTER
SAND PLAY In an outdoor area, sand should be confined so it does not get scattered over the rest of the playground. The area should be large enough so several children can move about in it without crowding each other. A 10” to 12” ledge around a sandbox can serve as a boundary and at the same time provide children with a working surface or a seat. If sand is about 6” to 8” below the top of the ledge, it is less likely to spill onto the playground. Sand should be about 18” deep so children can dig or make tunnels. Four or five inches of gravel on the bottom of the sandbox provides drainage. Basic equipment: Ordinary plastic or metal kitchen utensils—cups, spoons, pails, shovels, sifters, funnels, scoops, bowls WATER PLAY Water play can be either an indoor or an outdoor activity, depending upon the climate. Clear plastic water basins can be used for water play. When they are on a stand with wheels, they can be moved easily to any area of a room. When these plastic containers are used, children have the advantage of being able to see through the sides and the bottom. If a table stands on a carpeted floor, a plastic runner can be used to protect the carpet, and spillage will not be a serious housekeeping problem. Materials: Clear tubing, sponges, strainers, funnels, corks, pitchers, and measuring cups. For added interest, rotary beaters, spoons, small bowls, plastic basters, and straws.
Basic woodworking operations are ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■
sanding gluing hammering holding (with a vise or clamp) fastening (with screws) drilling sawing Materials for a woodworking center include:
■ sturdy workbench (or table) ■ woodworking tools: broad-headed nails 3⁄4” to 11⁄2”
long, a C-clamp or vise (to hold wood), flat-headed hammer weighing about 12 ounces for beginning woodworking experiences, later a claw hammer may be added, 14” saw with ten teeth to the inch ■ soft white pine lumber scraps (it is difficult to drive nails into hardwood; plywood is not suitable either). Packing boxes of soft pine can be disassembled and used for hammering work.
OUTDOOR EQUIPMENT The outdoor play equipment should be grouped according to use. For example, plan for both active and quiet play; allow for free areas for use of wheel toys. The following is a list of suggested basic outdoor play equipment for the early childhood program. ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■
climbing structure(s) large and small packing boxes slide swings with canvas seats wagons and wheelbarrows pedal toys—tricycles, cars, etc. sandbox with spoons, shovels, pails, etc. balls a variety of salvage material, such as rubber tires, tire tubes, lengths of garden hose, ropes, and cardboard boxes, to enrich the play
APPENDIX C Basic Program Equipment and Materials for an Early Childhood Center
Many activities, such as housekeeping play and art activities, at times can be transferred to the outdoor area. Use the following checklist to evaluate your playground setup. — There are clear pathways and enough space between areas so that traffic flows well and equipment does not obstruct the movement of children. — Space and equipment are organized so that children are readily visible and easily supervised by adults. — Different types of activity areas are separated. (Tricycle paths are separate from swings, sand box is separate from the climbing area.)
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— Open space is available for active play. — There is some space for quiet play. — Dramatic play can be set up outdoors, as space is available. — Art activities can be set up outdoors. — A portion of the play area is covered for use in wet weather. — A storage area is available for play equipment. — A drinking fountain is available. — The area has readily accessible restrooms.
APPE N DIX D Room and Yard Organization, Exhibitions, and Displays ROOM AND YARD ORGANIZATION* LARGE CARDBOARD CARTONS Puppet theaters, post offices, and stores are easily constructed by slicing or sawing out a rectangular portion in the top half of the front section of a large carton. When folded to the inside, the flap can be cut back to the desired width for a stage or shelf. The flap is supported by a dowel or a length of heavy cord strung from one side of the box to the other. Leftover latex wall paint is ideal for painting these large structures. This type of paint conceals advertising, does not smear when dry, and can be washed off a brush or child’s hands with water. Use old postage stamps, greeting cards, and envelopes if this is to be a post office. Paper tickets, signs, money (bottle tops, etc.) can be used if the structure is to be a theater. CABLE SPOOLS Empty cable spools are fun additions to the outside play area. Two or three spools may be secured one on top of another with a plumber’s pipe inserted through the center of each; a second pipe can be sunk in concrete close enough to the structure to be used as a firefighter’s pole. A rope ladder attached to the top spool adds to the climbing challenge. CARDBOARD BOXES To create a table easel from a large cardboard box, measure one side the equivalent length of the bottom and mark. Cut diagonally across from this mark to the bottom corner on both sides. This produces a sturdy *These suggestions are taken from Jean W. Quill’s A World of Materials, Washington, DC: National Association for the Education of Young children,m 1969.
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cardboard triangle that serves as a table easel once two slits have been made for clothespin clips at the top. The children themselves will be able to remove or replace newsprint for paintings. The same triangular arrangement covered with a piece of flannel makes a nontipping flannel board for children’s and teacher’s use. A show box containing flannel board figures may be stored beneath the triangle for the child’s convenience. It can be used for retelling stories or reworking number experiences in small groups or as a solitary, self-selected activity. WOODEN CRATES Wooden crates are durable and good for school use. At a minimal cost, these crates may be transformed into a stove, sink, sofa, work bench, or locker arrangement. To form a solid front, it is necessary only to tap the wooden slats loose, add a few additional slats, and replace side by side. To create a stove, individual pie tins can be turned upside down to simulate gas burners. These are especially effective when painted black to look like “grating.” Painted bottle tops add stove controls. A spool set on top of a scrap of wood and painted silver makes a faucet; the entire “sink” may cost little more than the price of the required pan. Many leftover aluminum foil pans are suitable for this purpose. The ends of cantaloupe crates make sturdy frames for children’s drawings or trays for the doll corner or science table. WOODEN AND PLASTIC SOFT-DRINK AND MILK CRATES These crates, sometimes available at a small charge, are excellent substitutes for commercial hollow blocks. Paint them bright colors with latex paint. A set of casters on one crate can produce a durable wagon for hauling friends or blocks. Set the casters far enough in to allow stacking at those times when the crates are not in use. They also make excellent “cubby holes” for storage.
APPENDIX D Room and Yard Organization, Exhibitions, and Displays
BOATS At the beginning or end of the boating season, some rowboats may be destroyed or abandoned as no longer seaworthy. These boats are often donated by marina managers to a school or playground, if transportation is provided by the school. When stored safely, these boats can be made into useful playground equipment.
or to provide an overview of their work, the subject of the exhibition should be directly related to the children’s interest. Exhibits should be changed often to be of educational and decorative value. LABELS ■ Make large, bold letters that can be easily read. ■ Keep titles brief. Descriptive material should be in
RECYCLED TIRES Used tires, hung either horizontally or vertically, make excellent swings. Inflated tubes can be rolled from place to place, bounced on, and used for various movement games.
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smaller letters. ■ Label children’s work with their names as a means
of creating pride through recognition of their work. ■ Vary the material in making letters. In addition to
paper letters, labels can be made of paint, ink, crayon, chalk, cloth, fancy papers, string, rope, yarn, and other three-dimensional materials.
ICE CREAM CONTAINERS A circular, spatter-paint screen may be created from the three-gallon containers discarded by ice cream stores or restaurants. Cut the bottom from one of these containers, leaving only a narrow edge to which the edges of a circular piece of screen may be glued. A matching narrow circle, cut from another piece of cardboard, placed over the first and glued down, will secure the screen. A paint-dipped toothbrush is scraped across the screen; any object placed beneath will leave a design on the paper on which it is resting. The carton should be cut down to leave approximately one quarter of its original length; this gives a satisfactory height for spatter painting. Ice cream containers can also be converted to wastebaskets, space helmets, and diver’s masks. To make the latter, simply remove an area from an upside-down carton large enough for the child’s face to appear. Allow the child to paint in a choice of colors. Ice cream containers can also be used as storage space, when bolted together.
COLOR
SAWDUST
BALANCE
Sawdust is available from the lumber mill for use in making sawdust clay. Simply mix a small amount of wallpaper paste in water and add sawdust until a pliable consistency has been reached. This clay hardens over a period of time.
Balance can be achieved formally or informally. To create formal balance, the largest piece of work may be placed in the center with similar shapes on either side. Informal balance is more interesting, subtle, and compelling. Material may be grouped in blocks of different sizes, colors, or shapes, and still be balanced. Margins of the bulletin board should be wider at the bottom.
EXHIBITIONS AND DISPLAYS It is stimulating and educational for children to see their work displayed. Whether the purpose of the exhibit is to introduce new ideas and information, to stimulate interest in a single lesson, to show the children’s work,
■ Choose a basic color scheme related to the visual
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material displayed. Seasonal colors can be used, such as warm colors for fall (yellow, orange, red), cool colors for winter (blue, blue-green, gray), and light and cool colors for spring (colors with yellow in the mixture, such as yellow-orange). Use colors for mounting that are more subdued than the materials mounted. This may be accomplished by using lighter, darker, or grayer colors. Select a bright color for accent, as in bands or other pleasing arrangements on the larger areas of gray, lighter, or darker colors. Create a contrast to emphasize or attract attention. Intense color makes a visual impact, such as orange against black. Use both light and dark color values. Create color patterns that lead the eye from area to area.
UNITY Unity in design is the quality that holds the arrangement together in harmony. ■ Ideas can be unified with background paper, letter-
ing, strips of construction paper, yarn, or ribbon.
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APPENDIX D Room and Yard Organization, Exhibitions, and Displays
■ Repetition of similar sizes, shapes, colors, or lines
can help to create harmony. ■ Shapes can be arranged to lead the eye from one part of the board to another. ■ One large unusual background shape helps unify the design. ■ Avoid cluttering the display; items placed at all angles destroy the unity.
Puppets, animals, birds, flowers, people, abstract forms, and masks can also be made. ■ Use three-dimensional materials in displays— Styrofoam, egg cartons, paper plates, paper cups, soda straws, cupcake cups, paper lace, toweling tubes, and other discarded materials. ■ Use objects from nature—branches, shells, bark, driftwood, feathers.
VARIETY
BACKGROUND MATERIALS
Variety in arrangement prevents monotony. Use interesting combinations of color, form, line, and texture.
■ display paper, tissue paper, burlap, corrugated card-
EMPHASIS Emphasis is the main idea or center of interest. This can be achieved by using larger letters, a brighter color, a larger picture, an unusual shape, texture, or a threedimensional object. Other material should be grouped into subordinate areas. LINE Line is used to draw the eye to a specific area, suggest direction, action, and movement, and to hold the display together. Use thick or thin lines; solid, dotted, or dashed lines. Diagonal lines are used to show action; zigzag lines suggest excitement; and slow-moving curves are restful. Lines may be painted, cut from paper, or formed with string, yarn, ribbon, or tape.
board, construction paper ■ egg carton separators, blotters, textured wallpaper, shelf paper DISPLAY BOARDS FOR TWODIMENSIONAL WORK ■ standard cork boards or sheet of plywood to which
cork tiles have been glued ■ builder’s wallboard with wood strip nailed to the ■ ■ ■ ■ ■
TEXTURE
top with hooks for hanging thick cardboard that will hold pins a pasteboard box open for standing on a table or the floor, depending on size a folding screen made from an old crate or packing box wide strips of binding tape attached along a blank wall; pin pictures to tape wire stretched across an empty space with pictures attached to it
Texture may be created with a variety of materials. ■ paper and cardboard—textured wallpaper, sandpa-
per, metallic foil, egg containers, corrugated cardboard ■ fabrics—netting, flannel, burlap, fur, felt, carpet remnants, assorted felt scraps ■ miscellaneous—chicken wire, metal screen, sheet cork THREE-DIMENSIONAL EFFECTS ■ Pull letters or objects out to the head of the pin. ■ Staple a shallow box to the board as a shelf to hold
lightweight three-dimensional items. ■ Mount a picture on a box lid and fasten it to the
board. ■ Use shallow boxes as buildings, animals, and people. ■ Pleat a strip of paper in an accordion fold with pic-
tures attached. ■ Use paper sculpture—strips of paper can be twisted,
curled, folded, rolled, fringed, perforated, or torn.
MORE ON BULLETIN BOARDS The most immediate evidence of an art program is the display of children’s artwork. A teacher’s creative approach to display is an extension of the art program in the physical environment. Bulletin boards are the most frequent form of display. Consider the following fairy tale. Once upon a time there was a carpenter who was building a classroom. When he was on the very top of his ladder, a hammer fell and crashed into the wall, making a very large hole. The carpenter did not know what to do since he had no materials left to repair the wall. Suddenly he had an idea! He found a 4’ x 8’ slab of cork and hung it over the hole. Then he tacked wood strips around the edges and said, “I am well pleased.” He named his creation “Bulletin Board.”
APPENDIX D Room and Yard Organization, Exhibitions, and Displays
The dictionary defines a bulletin board as “a board on which bulletins and other notices are posted.” Teachers often have other definitions for this term: (1) a surface that must be covered before the first day of school and before parents’ night; (2) a board that is always three inches wider than the paper just cut for it; and (3) a rectangle that has a width never sufficient for the number of letters needed to be pinned across it. Whatever your definition, a bulletin board is much more than a board on which notices are posted. It is a visual extension of a learning experience, a visual form of motivation, and a reflection of a curriculum area. Because bulletin boards are a visual phenomenon, teachers should be concerned about their content and appearance. Thirty spelling papers or fifteen identical paper pumpkins hanging up like someone’s laundry do not constitute a good bulletin board. Mimeographed pictures, commercial cardboard turkeys, and corrugated cardboard trim are not visually appealing and certainly are not reflections of the children whose interest you are trying to catch. A display designed for the eye is also designed for the mind. Children are very much attuned to symbols. Television commercials, billboards, posters, and cereal boxes attest to the impact of images. Bulletin boards should attract constructive attention. Stereotypical smiley faces and dog-eared paper letters with a thousand pin holes will not do it. Ideas and paper fade. Stereotyped versions of an upcoming holiday do absolutely nothing for children’s art development. For an early childhood teacher, one of the best solutions is to display the children’s artwork. Art is a visual extension of the child and her own unique ideas and expression. It is the result of the child’s own experience and serves as a motivation for others and the child herself. Any subject can be the theme for an effective bulletin board, but one rule of thumb is that all boards should be student oriented and entice student participation. Boards that ask questions, have games to play, or have objects to be handled can be fun and valuable learning experiences. Eye-catching photographs (of the children, if possible) and short stories, poems, and cartoons are exercises for both the eye and mind. Whatever the mode, the key is visual impact. In order for a bulletin board to be a learning experience, it first must get the child’s attention. Bright colors, bold design, legible, catchy, succinct phraseology, and relevant themes are vital to bulletin boards by, for, and about the children. Try some of these suggestions for improving your bulletin boards. ■ Take advantage of interest in the World Series, Olym-
pics, or other big sports events for a variety of projects. Find bulletin board space for newspaper clippings, pictures of heroes and heroines, and
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posting of scores and relative standings. Have the children write reports or draw pictures of games in which they are interested. Make up graphs with scores for each team. Vary these activities according to the level of the children’s interest and abilities. ■ If you have a bulletin board too big to cope with, cut it down to size by covering it with wallpaper samples, outlining each sample with black construction paper in a kind of giant patchwork quilt effect. Each child can use one of these squares as a personal bulletin board. Or you could use each of the squares to depict a different aspect of one main theme: symbols of Christmas, kinds of animals, favorite people, etc. ■ Be sure all your bulletin boards and other kinds of displays are at the children’s eye level. ■ When your classroom closet is awash with caps and mittens, why not bring their splashy colors and designs into the open with a self-portrait mural for a bulletin board? On a strip of butcher paper, draw a circle for each child. Have the students add features to turn these circles into self-portraits. Two lines looping down from each face become instant arms. Finally, have each child draw her own hat and mittens on the heads and hands. Encourage the young artists to copy the actual styles, colors, and designs of their own apparel as exactly as possible. This mural not only makes a colorful bulletin board, but also helps you easily identify the owners of any stray clothing. DISPLAY AREAS FOR THREEDIMENSIONAL WORK ■ Use tops of cupboard or built-in shelves. ■ Build shelves with boards supported by cigar boxes
or brick, used permanently or temporarily. ■ Attach a shelf of wood or particleboard underneath
a bulletin board. ■ Cigar boxes nailed together make display shelves. ■ Dioramas are especially useful where exhibit space
is limited. ■ A card table can be used for temporary exhibits,
then folded up when not in use. ■ If obtainable, a small showcase is valuable for dis-
playing museum-type objects. ■ Cardboard boxes fastened to bulletin boards make
a display place for lightweight objects. ■ Use driftwood as an interesting display for weaving
and jewelry. ■ Puppet display rods can be made with a board and
some dowel sticks. ■ Mobiles are attractive display devices. Coat hangers
can also be used. ■ Cover cardboard or cigar boxes and use them as
bases for displaying art objects. ■ Use a pegboard with brackets.
APPE N DIX E Rycycled Materials
C
reative teachers find that art possibilities abound everywhere, including a new look at old, discarded materials. For example, in the following teaching suggestions, one kind of discarded item—gallon milk containers—provides a wealth of storage, display, and equipment possibilities.
TEACHING SUGGESTIONS: EMPTY CONTAINERS FULL OF PROMISE When that plastic gallon milk container is out of milk, it is full of potential for classroom implements you can make yourself. Scoops, funnels, sorting trays, display or storage containers, and carrying baskets are just waiting to be cut out. Outline the area you wish to cut with a felt-tip marker and use a sharp knife or a small pencil-type soldering iron to do the cutting. (If you use the iron, be sure to work in a ventilated area and avoid the fumes.) The containers are so readily available you can afford to experiment with a few to find just the shapes you are after. Here are directions for some basic cuts to get you started.
Tray
Display Funnel
Scoop Basket
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■ Scoop—Cut away the handle and part of the side
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below it. The container’s handle instantly becomes the scoop’s handle, while the section below becomes the scoop itself. Sorting trays—Cut off the bottom or the entire side opposite the handle to make trays of varying depths. These are perfect for sorting small objects, such as pebbles or shells, or for examining small amounts of sand or soil. Funnel—Cut the handle a few centimeters from the top. Then cut around the base of the handle to make the funnel’s body from the curved section of the jug. The top of the handle becomes the spout. For a larger funnel, just cut the bottom from the container and use the top as the spout. Carrying basket—Cut away the upper portion of the side opposite the handle. The children then carry the jug by the handle and use it to transport all kinds of items. Display or storage container—Cut the bottom off the jug just below the handle. You’ll end up with a square container about 3” deep, perfect for displaying or storing the specimens that students collect on their outings.
EQUIPMENT FOR MOVEMENT ACTIVITIES FROM RECYCLED MATERIALS A valuable addition to the movement program in the early childhood classroom is equipment made from recycled materials. For example, empty plastic gallon milk jugs can be used as safe game goals, pins for indoor/outdoor bowling games, or cut out for scoops (see Figures E–1 and E–2) to toss yarn or other light balls in classroom movement activities.
APPENDIX E Recycled Materials
FIGURE E–1
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Equipment using recycled materials: scoops. FIGURE E–2
Old pantyhose can be used to make light child-sized rackets for great hand–eye coordination practice in racket games. These rackets are especially good for young children as they are light enough to handle and yet sturdy enough to hit a yarn, Nerf, or plastic ball. Using recycled materials has an obvious cost benefit in addition to demonstrating the importance of conservation to young children. Young children can possibly use these same materials at home for their own play experiences. Even better, you can enlist parent participation and involvement in the program by asking parents to donate recycled materials to make movement equipment. Perhaps parents and children together could even get involved at home in making some of the equipment for the class’s use, such as yarn balls or pantyhose rackets.
OTHER IDEAS FOR RECYCLING MATERIALS Just as recycled materials were used for making movement equipment in Chapter 16, these same “discards” can be valuable art materials. Both conservation and creativity can be practiced in ways like these: ■ Be a scavenger. (But remember that the word is
“scavenger,” not beggar or receiver of junk goods.)
Plastic scoop and yarn ball.
■ Begin your scavenger hunt by making a list of the
equipment and supplies that you feel you might find in your community at little or no cost. ■ Search for your treasures in attics, basements, garages, thrift or Goodwill Industry stores, and at garage sales. ■ Ask parents to contribute to the needs of creative children, or send a “want ad” home being specific about what you need. Your ad may read something like the ad in the box below.
PLEASE SAVE... — yarn and ribbon scraps — large empty spools — shirt cardboards — leftover wallpaper — men’s shirts—we will turn them into smocks — juice cans with smooth edges — plastic squeeze bottles — bits of fabric, trim — buttons, old jewelry THEY WILL BE USED BY YOUR CREATIVE CHILD(REN) IN THE EARLY CHILDHOOD PROGRAM.
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APPENDIX E Recycled Materials
■ Check with wallpaper and carpet dealers. Wallpaper
dealers will sometimes give you their old sample books, and carpet dealers will often sell their sample swatches for a very small sum. These carpet swatches are useful as sit-upons, as rugs for houses the children build, as colorful mats under items on display, and as working mats for use under table toys. ■ Trim the bristles from 1”-wide house painting brushes to about 1” in length and use these in place of more expensive easel brushes. ■ Gather paper from a variety of sources:
The following materials can be valuable instructional tools in the art program as well as in other curriculum areas.
Be a bag grabber. Collect plain paper bags. Cut them open and use them for painting, crayoning, etc.
3. Egg shells. These can be washed, dried, and colored with food coloring for art projects.
Save old newspapers for easel painting. Bright tempera (water color) paint on a newsprint background makes a very attractive and interesting work of art.
4. Coffee or shortening can lids and cans themselves. These can be covered with adhesive paper and used for the storage of art supplies, games, and manipulatives materials.
Check with your community or local newspaper office. They may donate or sell newsprint or old newspapers to you at a minimal cost. Other materials listed in Figure E–3 can be valuable in the art center.
SANDBOX TOYS FROM THE KITCHEN From the cupboard—use plastic storage containers such as scoops, molds, or buckets. Foam cups are good scoops or molds. A plastic flowerpot with drainage holes can be a sifter. Cut an egg carton into individual egg cups for molds. Make an egg-carton sifter by cutting the lid off an egg carton and cutting the egg cup section in half the short way. In the bottom of each cup, poke a hole. The holes may be the same size or of varying sizes.
1. Empty plastic containers—detergent bottles, bleach bottles, old refrigerator containers. These can be used for constructing scoops, storing art materials, etc. 2. Buttons—all colors and sizes. These are excellent for collages, assemblages, as well as sorting, counting, matching, etc.
5. Magazines with colorful pictures. These are excellent for making collages, murals, and posters. 6. Scraps of fabric—felt, silk, cotton, oil cloth, etc. These can be used to make “fabric boards” with the name of each fabric written under a small swatch attached to the board, as well as for collages, puppets, etc. 7. Yarn scraps. These can be used for separating buttons into sets; also for art activities. 8. Styrofoam scraps. 9. Scraps of lace, rick rack, or decorative trim. 10. Bottles with sprinkler tops. Excellent for water play and for mixing water as children finger paint. 11. Wallpaper books of discontinued patterns. 12. Paper doilies. 13. Discarded wrapping paper. 14. Paint color cards from paint/hardware stores.
MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS FROM RECYCLED MATERIALS
15. Old paintbrushes.
Recycling egg cartons for tambourines. Young children can make a simple tambourine from egg cartons and bottle caps. Simply put a few bottle caps in each egg carton, tape the carton closed, and you have an instrument that players can shake or hit. Children will love playing it both in rhythm and creative movement activities.
17. Old muffin tins. These are effective for sorting small objects and mixing paint.
Recycling nuts and bolts for rattles. For an unusual set of musical instruments, assemble an assortment of large nuts, bolts, and washers. Young children will get excellent practice in fine finger movements
16. Old jewelry and beads.
18. Tongue depressors or ice cream sticks. Counters for math, good for art construction projects, stick puppets, etc. 19. Wooden clothespins. For making “people,” for construction projects, for hanging up paintings to dry.
FIGURE E–3
Beautiful junk list.
APPENDIX E Recycled Materials
when they create musical rattles out of these. All you have to do is place several washers on each bolt and loosely turn the nut onto the bolt. Place these inside empty adhesive bandage boxes, tape shut, and use as interesting sound instruments (rattles).
Making music with bottles. Gather a collection of bottles with both small and large mouths, soft drink bottles, ketchup bottles, quart canning jars, mayonnaise jars, etc. Show the children how different sounds can be made with different-sized bottles by blowing across the various openings. Have them listen for high and low sounds. Stand the bottles on a table and gently tap them with a spoon. The children can explore different sounds the bottles make by blowing across them and by tapping them with a spoon.
Rhythm instruments from recycled materials. The following are suggestions for simple rhythm instruments the children can make to use in their musical experiences. Creating rhythm instruments from found objects gives young children another opportunity for self-expression. They receive satisfaction and pleasure from beating rhythmic sounds and keeping time to music with instruments they have created. Materials: paper plates empty spools
plastic egg-shaped containers
pebbles
small plastic bottles
nails
sticks
toweling rolls
old Christmas bells
embroidery hoops
bottle caps
small boxes or cartons
peas or corn
dried beans
wire
Bottle cap shaker
Remove plastic from inside bottle caps. Punch a hole in the center of the bottle cap. String bottle caps on a string and attach to a package handle. Paint if desired. Spool shaker
Paint designs on a large spool. Force four pipe cleaners through the center of the spool. Attach a Christmas bell to the end of each cleaner by bending. Plate shaker
Decorate two paper plates with crayons or paint. Put pebbles, dried corn, peas, or beans between them and staple or sew the plates together with bright yarn or string. Bend wire to form a handle, and fit the ends inside.
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Box shaker Place small pebbles, beans, or seeds in a small box or empty clean milk carton to make a shaker. It can be used with or without a handle. Decorate as desired. Flute Use a paper towel or tissue paper roll. With a pencil, punch three or four holes (about one inch apart) in the cardboard tube. Cover one end of the roll with a piece of waxed paper, as described later in the instructions for the Hummer. Hum a tune in the open end, moving your fingers over the holes. Sandpaper blocks Paint two small wooden blocks. Place a strip of sandpaper on the surface, allowing an overlap on each end for fastening with thumbtacks. Sandpaper may replace carpet on old eraser blocks. Rub together to make a sound. Clappers Nail bottle caps to a painted eraser block. Cymbals Decorate two lids from tin cans. Fasten a small spool or block of wood on for a handle. Tambourine Tie bottle caps by thin wire, pipe cleaners, or string to a decorated paper or tinfoil plate. Hummer Decorate a tube from a waxed paper or paper toweling roll. Fasten a piece of waxed paper over one end of the tube. Humming through the waxed paper is fun. Be sure to change the paper after each use. Circle shakers Stretch two layers of plastic cloth with uncooked rice or tapioca between them over one half of an embroidery hoop. Fasten with the other half of the hoop to make a circle shaker. (When making any shaker-type toys, be sure that the small objects used are sealed securely inside. Small objects like beans, peas, and rice can pose a serious choking risk to young children.) Egg shakers Fill plastic egg-shaped containers (either panty hose containers or plastic Easter eggs) with dried beans. Tape the halves together and use them as maracas. Bottle shakers Collect empty small plastic bottles. Fill with rice, beans, or nuts until half full. Seal bottles that don’t have childproof lids with tape. These are excellent shakers for tiny hands. Drums Glue lids to salt boxes, cereal boxes, or ice cream boxes and decorate with paint to use as drums. Older children
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APPENDIX E Recycled Materials
may make drums from restaurant-size tin cans with canvas or heavy paper stretched and laced to cover the ends. Kazoo Use a piece of waxed paper over a clean comb. Play by pressing your lips against the paper and humming. Gong Use an old license plate (the older the better). Strike with a mallet to play. Describe the sounds. Jingle instrument Use a set of metal measuring spoons. Play by slapping them into your hand. Wrist or ankle bells Lace two or three bells through a shoestring. Tie to wrist or ankle. Move to shake your bells.
Rubber band box. Another addition to rhythm instruments is a rubber band box. Gather together one cigar box (or similar-sized and weight box), five rubber bands of several lengths and thicknesses, and 10 brass fasteners. Punch five holes, 11⁄2” apart in each end of the box. Attach a rubber band to a brass fastener, push
through one of the holes, and open the fastener on the inside of the box to hold it down. Stretch the rubber band tight to the other end of the box and attach it in the same way. Attach the rest of the rubber bands. To use: The rubber band box can be held, placed on a table, or placed on the floor. Encourage the children to pluck the rubber bands with their fingers or strum the bands with their thumbs. They can experiment with sounds and beats: high-low, fastslow, and loud-soft.
Sound box. Another rhythm instrument is the sandpaper sound box. Gather together four pieces of sandpaper (of various grades from fine to coarse), glue, scissors, and a dowel (1⁄2” × 6” long). Glue the top and bottom of the box closed. Allow enough time for it to dry completely. Cut the sandpaper to fit all sides of the box. Glue the sandpaper strips to the box. To use: Rub the dowel on the sandpaper. While the children are using the sound boxes, you can introduce such musical concepts as loud-soft and fast-slow. The dowels can also be used alone in a rhythm band or in a parade. Extend this activity by having the children make their own sound boxes if they are interested.
APPE N DIX F Criteria for Selecting Play Equipment for Young Children 1. A young child’s playthings should be as free of detail as possible. A child needs freedom to express himself by creating his own childlike world; too much detail hampers him. Blocks are the best example of “unstructured” toys. Blocks, construction sets, and other unstructured toys and equipment such as clay, sand, and paints allow the imagination free rein and are basic playthings. 2. A good plaything should stimulate children to do things for themselves. Equipment that makes the child a spectator, such as a mechanical duck, may entertain for the moment but has little or no play value. The equipment provided for play should encourage children to explore and create or offer the opportunity for dramatic play. 3. Young children need large, easily manipulated playthings. Toys too small can be a source of frustration because the child’s muscular coordination is not yet developed enough to handle the smaller forms and shapes. A child’s muscles develop through her play. A child needs equipment for climbing and balancing. 4. The material from which a plaything is made has an important role in the play of the young child. Warmth and pleasurable touch are significant to him. The most satisfactory materials have been established as wood and cloth.
5. The durability of the plaything is of utmost importance. Play materials must be sturdy. Children hate to see their toys break. Axles and wheels must be strong to support a child’s weight. Some materials break so readily that they prove to be very expensive. 6. The toy must “work.” What frustration when a door or drawer won’t shut, wheels get stuck, or figures won’t stand up. Be sure parts move correctly and that maintenance will be easy. 7. The construction of a plaything should be simple enough for a child to comprehend. This strengthens his understanding and experience of the world around him. The mechanics, too, should be visible and easily grasped. Small children will take them apart to see how they tick. 8. A plaything should encourage cooperative play. As we seek to teach children to work and play together, we should supply the environment that stimulates such play. 9. The total usefulness of the plaything must be considered in comparing price. Will it last several children through several stages of their playing lives?
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SENSORY MATERIALS
ACTIVE PLAY EQUIPMENT
MANIPULATIVE TOYS
More unit blocks, shapes, and accessories Props for roads, towns Hollow blocks Brace and bits, screwdrivers, screws, metric measure, accessories
More complex puzzles Dominoes More difficult board and card games Yarn, big needles, mesh fabric, weaving materials Magnets, balances Attribute blocks
Cash register, play money, accessories, or props for other dramatic play settings: gas station, construction, office Typewriter
Books on cultures Stories with chapters Favorite stories children can read Children’s recipe books
Watercolors, smaller paper, stapler, hole puncher Chalkboard Oil crayons, paint crayons, charcoal Simple camera, film
Larger 3-wheeled riding vehicle Roller skates Climbing structure Rope or tire swing Plastic bats and balls Various sizes rubber balls Balance board Planks, boxes, old tires Bowling pins, ring toss. bean bags and target
More unit blocks, shapes, and accessories Table blocks Realistic model vehicles Construction set with smaller pieces Woodworking bench, saw, sandpaper, nails
Puzzles, pegboard, small beads to string Parquetry blocks Small objects to sort Marbles Magnifying glass Simple card or board games Flannel board with pictures, letters Sturdy letters and numbers
Dolls and accessories Doll carriage Child-sized stove or sink More dress-up clothes Play food, cardboard cartons Airport, doll house, or other settings with accessories Finger or stick puppets
Simple science books More detailed picture and story books Sturdy record or tape player Recordings of wider variety of music Book and recording sets
Easel, narrower brushes Thick crayons, chalk Paste, tape with dispenser Collage materials
Low climber Canvas swing Low slide Wagon, cart, or wheelbarrow Large rubber balls Low 3-wheeled, steerable vehicle with pedals
Unit blocks and accessories: animals, people, simple wood cars and trucks Interlocking construction set with large pieces Wood train and track set Hammer (13 oz. steel shanked), soft wood, roofing nails, nailing block
Wooden puzzles with 4–20 large pieces Pegboards Big beads or spools to string Sewing cards Stacking toys Picture lotto, picture dominoes
Washable dolls with a few clothes Doll bed Child-sized table and chairs Dishes, pots, and pans Dress-up clothes: hats, shoes, shirts Hand puppets Shopping cart
Clear picture books, stories, and poems about things children know CDs or tapes of classical music, folk music, or children’s songs
Wide-tip watercolor markers Large sheets of paper, easel Finger or tempera paint, 1⁄2” brushes Blunt-nose scissors White glue
Jump ropes, roller skates, skate boards, equipment for team sports and ball tossing and catching
Woodworking bench; full range of tools and equipment
Computer games, puzzles, crochet and knitting supplies
Materials for skits and short dramatic activities
CDs, tapes of classical, folk, jazz and popular music Wide range of fiction and non-fiction books
Full range of materials for easel painting, printing, sculpting, collage, rubbings. Computer programs for graphic design experiences
DOLLS AND DRAMATIC PLAY
BOOKS AND RECORDINGS
ART MATERIALS
2-year olds and young 3-year-olds Water toys: food color ing, pumps, funnels Sand toys: containers, utensils Harmonica, kazoo, guitar, recorder Tools for working with clay
Bicycle Outdoor games: bocce, tetherball, shuffleboard, jump rope, Frisbee
Older 3- and 4-year-olds Water toys: measuring cups, egg beaters Sand toys: muffin tins, vehicles Xylophone, maracas, tambourine Potter’s clay
5- and 6-year-olds Water and sand toys: cups, shovels Modeling dough Sound-matching games Bells, wood block, triangle, drum Texture matching games, feel box
7- and 10-year-olds Modeling materials, papier-mache, wire for sculpture, potter’s clay
APPENDIX F Criteria for Selecting Play Equipment for Young Children
CONSTRUCTION MATERIALS
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What are some good toys and play materials for young children? All ages are approximate. Most suggestions for younger children are also appropriate for older children.
APPE N DIX G Puppet Patterns
HAND PUPPET PATTERN Hand puppets can be an essential part of your curriculum and are fun for children to use. Hand puppets can be made with or without mouths, but puppets with mouths are usually preferable. The following pattern can be adapted to make people- or animal-shaped puppets (see Figure G–1). Encourage the children to use their imaginations to add faces, ears, hair, and clothes. Features can be glued, sewed, or written on the puppet.
sides together. This fabric will not fray. Velcro hook can be attached to decorative items to change a puppet’s personality. This type of puppet is fun and easy for children to use. Show them how to insert their hand the first time they use one. Keep the puppets in a puppet house in the story corner as well as in the home center for the children to use.
MITTENS AND GLOVE PATTERNS For each mitten or glove: 12 yard (.5m) Velcro fabric, fabric glue or thread and sewing machine, scissors.
Materials: Felt, upholstery fabric, Velcro fabric Glue, needle and thread, scissors Other decorative materials (yarn, feathers, plastic eyes, etc.) Directions: Cut out two pattern shapes using the type of fabric you choose. Sew or glue them together leaving the bottom open. If you use Velcro fabric, glue or sew the wrong
Directions: Following the patterns (see Figures G–2 amd G–3), cut material to the size you need. Place wrong sides together and stitch or glue. Paste cut-out character’s pictures to a sturdy piece of paper (cardboard, poster board). Glue a piece of Velcro hook on the back of each character. Children wear the mitten and attach story characters to them during storytelling.
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APPENDIX G Puppet Patterns
Child Size
Shorten or lengthen
FIGURE G–1
Hand puppet pattern.
APPENDIX G Puppet Patterns
FIGURE G–2
Mitten pattern.
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APPENDIX G Puppet Patterns
Lengthen here.
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FIGURE G–3
Glove pattern.
G LOSSARY
acceptance in teaching music—Teachers should accept more than one kind of response to music activities. activity centers—A part of the early childhood environment identified by specific activities and materials. In activity centers young children can manipulate objects, engage in conversation and role-playing, and learn at their own levels and at their own pace.
arts and crafts—A term which has its origin in folk arts. Examples of arts and crafts are hand-shaped clay pots, original carving, and weaving. A creative activity producing a utilitarian (or craft) item. assemblage—A three-dimensional art form involving placement of a number of three-dimensional objects, natural or man-made, in juxtaposition to create a unified composition.
activity pattern—Varying activities so that the new and old are in an interesting as well as developmentally appropriate pattern for young children.
associative play—A type of play characterized simply by being present in a group. Example: A child who participates in fingerplays during circle time.
aesthetic movement, the—An artistic movement in the 1880s in the United States. The chief characteristic was its concentration on the “science of the beautiful” or the “philosophy of taste.”
attention span—The length of time a child’s interest lasts. Generally, the younger the child, the shorter the attention span.
aesthetics—An appreciation for beauty and a feeling of wonder. A sensibility that uses the imagination as well as the five senses. affective readiness (for reading)—A prerequisite to reading involving the child’s positive self-concept. afterimage—After staring at a page of solid color for about 30 seconds, then looking at a dot on a page of white or gray, our eyes will see color on the blank page. The color is usually the complement or near complement of the color first looked upon.
bag puppet—A common paper bag stuffed with newspapers and fastened shut. A body is made with a second bag attached to the first, leaving room for the child’s hand to slip in and work the puppet. basic forms stage—The stage in the development of art when a child finds, recognizes, and repeats at will basic shapes such as rectangles, squares, and circles. bilateral (use of hands)—The use of both hands is required. Each hand is performing a separate task for a common outcome. Examples: buttoning, cutting.
anti-bias curriculum (ABC)—A curriculum developed by the NAEYC to be a starting point for planning an inclusive, anti-bias curriculum.
bilateral integration—The ability to perform activities requiring both sides of the body working together, such as hopping or skipping.
appropriate music activities—These music activities can only be planned if the teacher understands the developmental levels of the children involved.
block-building area—An activity or interest center where young children can create with both and large small blocks, Legos®, etc.
art area—An activity center for painting, collage-making, cutting, pasting, etc. It needs to be located near water and light.
bodily/kinesthetic learner—In Gardner’s theory, this learner is physically active, prefers hands-on learning, and is talkative. Often called the “mover.”
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GLOSSARY
books and quiet area—A place to be alone, quiet in one’s thoughts, and to explore the world of books
asks the children to respond to the easiest parts of it with voices, hands, or an instrument.
brayer—An ink roller used with a printing plate. The brayer is rolled in a shallow pan filled with water-soluble ink or tempera paint.
communication sites—On the Internet, communication sites allow children to interact with friends, relatives, or classrooms across the street, in another city, or even across the globe.
“Capital C” Creativity—Creativity which involves bringing into existence something genuinely new that receives social validation enough to be added to the culture. An example of “Capital C” creativity is the invention of the light bulb. cardboard cylinder puppet—A puppet made by placing a cardboard cylinder, from paper towels or toilet tissue, over the fingers. cardinal numbers—Number names (examples: one, two, three). celebration—Used synonymously with the term “holiday” to reflect a broader approach to special days in a child’s life. cephalocaudal development—The pattern of physical development in the human body from head to toe (or top to bottom). childhood chants—The teasing chants sung by children—and most often heard on the playground—using the words, “You can’t catch me!” classification and sorting—Putting together things that are alike or belong together. One of the processes necessary for developing the concept of numbers. classroom museum—A collection of items and artifacts on a specific theme. These items and artifacts are brought in by the children for display. cognitive development theory (of children’s art)—Developed by Piaget, this theory holds that children’s art is related to their ability to understand the permanent existence of objects. cognitive readiness (for reading)—The abilities of comprehension, problem-solving, and reasoning required in order to learn to read. collage—A French word meaning “to paste.” A twodimensional art activity involving selection, organization, and arranging materials, and then attaching them to a flat surface. color—The property of reflecting light of a particular visible light wavelength: the colors of the spectrum are red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo, and violet. color relativity—The color gray appears much lighter when placed on a black background than it does against a white one. This dark/light effect holds true for many other colors as well. combination of phrase-wise and whole-song method—A method of introducing a song to children where the entire song is presented, but the teacher only
comparing—A mathematical skill involving the perception of differences in items. (Example: My shoes are bigger than yours.) contrast—One of the most exciting characteristics (or elements) in all of the arts. Example: The rough bark of a tree in contrast to its smooth leaves. controlled scribbling—A later point in the scribble stage when the child connects her motions with the marks on the page. The child has found it possible to control the marks. convergent thinking—Encouraging one correct answer or one way to do things; single-focused. cooperative play—A type of play marked by mutual involvement in a play activity. creative dramatics—A form of imaginative play that helps students learn and uses no written dialogue. It is different from performing a play. In creative dramatics, actors create their own words to convey meaning. creative movement—movement that reflects the mood or inner state of a child. creative movement activities—Natural activities for children to express their creative selves by physical movement. creativity—The process of bringing something new into being. design—The organization of an artwork, including symmetry/asymmetry; repetition, alternation, and variation. developmental level—Referring to a framework upon which we organize our knowledge and observations of children. Includes four major areas of growth: physical, social, emotional, and intellectual. developmental levels (of art)—A guide to what a child can do in art at different ages; not a strict guideline. developmentally appropriate early childhood classrooms—Classrooms that evidence maximum interaction among children; an environment filled with challenging and interesting materials and a variety of independent and small-group tasks. disordered or random scribbling—An early part of the scribble stage, characterized by the child’s lack of control over hand movements or the marks on a page. The marks are random and go in many directions.
GLOSSARY
divergent thinking—Encouraging many different answers or ways to do things; open-ended. dramatic play—A free, unstructured form of play in which young children is able to express their inner feelings. early basic forms stage—The circle and oval are generally the first basic forms. It develops as children recognize the simple circle in their scribbles and are able to repeat it. early pictorial (first drawings) stage—The stage in art development when a child works on making and perfecting one or many symbols. ecology—The study of all elements of an environment, both the living and nonliving, and the interrelation of these elements. emerging literacy—The developmental process involving the time immediately before a child learns to read printed symbols, but also the continuous development of pre-reading skills that begins at birth. Emergent literacy is preferred over the term “reading readiness,” which describes a more narrow range of skills. emotional brain—The first part of the brain to receive input and the first to react. enriched—A nutritional term referring to the fact that nutrients lost during processing are replaced. environment—Refers to two things: man-made and natural things that children meet in their surroundings. environmental motivation (for picture making)— Children must have the opportunity to reflect on experiences they have in their environment before expressing them visually. facilitate—To help along, to guide, to provide opportunities, and to be sensitive and caring without interfering. filmstrips—A series of slides made in a strip of film rather than cut up and placed in slide mountings. fine motor development—The development of the small (fine) muscles of the body, such as fingers, hands, wrists, and eyes. finger puppets—Puppets made by using the child’s fingers. The include three general types: finger-leg, finger-cap, and finger-face. flexible thinking—The ability to think of things in many ways; to think of things in the context of change, that not all things are permanent. flexibility in teaching music—Teachers should adapt music activities based on the various responses received.
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folk and traditional songs—Songs that are part of our heritage, sung by children for centuries. Example: “Bingo” and “I’m a Little Teapot.” form or shape—Elements of all artwork. They are combined, made in various sizes, can be filled, empty, separate, connecting, or overlapping. formal science—A science experience planned by the teacher to develop particular skills. fortified—A nutritional term referring to the addition of nutrients to a food after processing. free play—See “spontaneous play.” functional/physical movement—Movement which serves a practical purpose. gross motor development—The development of large (gross) muscles in the body, such as in the neck, trunk, arms, and legs. hand–eye coordination—The use of hand(s) and eyes at the same time. hardware—General term used to refer to machines used as media for young children. Example: The computer is the hardware. holiday—Used synonymously with the term “celebration” to reflect a broader approach to special days in a child’s life. holiday policy—A guide for everyone involved in the program to help them choose, implement, and evaluate celebration activities. holistically—To look at things in an overall way, as a whole. housekeeping /dramatic play center—A place for acting out familiar home scenes with various real-life props. humanettes—See “people puppet.” imaginative play—In Piaget’s theory of play, imaginative play is one of the purest forms of symbolic thought available to the young child. incidental science—The open, unstructured, free exploration of young children of their world. inclusive environment—An environment which addresses both the daily life realities of cultural diversity as well as the potentially biased attitudes and behaviors that are part of this reality. individual differences—The unique, different levels of performance present in each child. informal science—Children explore science on their own with little or no teacher involvement. information sites—On the Internet, information sites are rich reference resources that teachers and parents can use to model or assist children in answering questions, making new discoveries, and building knowledge.
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GLOSSARY
integrated curriculum—A curriculum in which the artificial divisions among content areas are reduced. Most often an integrated curriculum is designed around a unit of study, centered around a specific theme or project. interaction sites—On the Internet, interaction sites are similar to software programs, using sound, animation, sound effects, and high quality, realistic graphics. interactive (refers to computers)—The computer, when used with young children, provides a vehicle for two types of interaction: child-to-computer and childto-child. interest centers—“See activity centers.” interpersonal learner—In Gardner’s theory, this learner is group-oriented, extroverted, communicative, and enjoys interacting with others. Often called the “socializer.” intrapersonal learner—In Gardener’s theory, this learner is self-reflective, introverted, solitary, and prefers learning alone. Often called the “individual.” juxtaposition—Color pigments placed side by side in small repeated strokes are altered by our vision to appear to combine, thus forming a different hue. later basic forms stage—In the later basic forms stage the rectangle and square forms are made when the child can purposely draw separate lines of any length desired. later pictorial (first drawings) stage—A later point in the pictorial stage when the child draws symbols more easily and exactly. left-brained—Using the left hemisphere of the brain as the major learning method. line—An element of art that is part of every artwork. Every line in a piece of art has length, a beginning, an end, and direction. linguistic readiness (for reading)—A prerequisite to reading which involves skill at using oral language. listening—A stage in the development of listening skills when the child reacts through comments or questions. literacy—A mastery of language—speaking, listening, writing, and reading. logical/mathematical learner—In Gardener’s theory, this learner is inquisitive, experimental, and oriented toward numbers, patterns, and relationships. Often called the “questioner.” manipulative area—A place to enhance motor skills, hand–eye coordination, and mental, language, and social skills through the use of play materials such as pegboards, puzzles, and games.
media—Any material used to create or enhance learning experiences for young children. modeling —The process of manipulating and shaping flexible material. modeling behavior—A characteristic of dramatic play in which children imitate what they have observed. modeling (three-dimensional)—Manipulating and shaping flexible materials. monoprint—A single-colored print. motor development—Physical growth; the ability to use one’s body. multicultural activities—Special events in the child’s week, separate from the ongoing curriculum. multimedia artwork—An art form and contemporary art movement which emphasizes the integration of all art forms. mural—A story-telling picture or panel intended for a large wall space. Another form of picture making. music center—A place for listening to records, tapes, singing, creating dance, and playing musical instruments. musical/rhythmic learner—In Gardener’s theory, this learner is oriented toward music, rhythmic sounds, and environmental sounds. Often called the “music lover.” National Council for the Social Studies’ National Standards—A set of national standards developed for children (K–12) identifying learning experiences that make up a fundamental knowledge of social studies. National Science Education Standards—A set of national standards on science education, presenting an outline of what students (K–12) need to know, understand, and be able to do to be “scientifically literate” at each grade level. one-to-one correspondence—A concept basic to rational counting; giving one number per item in a series. ordering (seriation)—A mathematical skill involving the ability to perceive opposite ends of a series. Example: big to little. ordinal number—Number which refers to the place of an object in a series of numbers. Example: second book, third window. organized play—An open, flexible type of play, with some structure provided in terms of materials. overhead projector—Lightweight machine (hardware) that projects pictures and words on a screen. paper pulp (papier-mâché)—A clay substitute, easy to work with, made from newspaper and powder paste.
GLOSSARY
parallel play—A form of play when a child plays side by side with other children with some interaction but without direct involvement. passive listening—A stage in the development of listening skills when the child just sits, with little or no reaction. people puppet—Also called humanettes; puppets that are half-person, half-puppet, made by placing a large paper grocery bag over the head. Holes are cut for eyes and other facial features. perceptual readiness (for reading)—The prerequisite skill to reading involving the ability to associate printed language with spoken language. It also requires the child to discriminate among letters and sounds. personal celebration—A celebration emphasizing an experience of individual, special significance to a child. (Example: losing the first tooth). personal creative movement—Movement that reflects the mood or inner state of an individual. phrase-wise method—A method of introducing a song to children through the use of a brief story, discussion, or question. pictorial stage—The stage in art development when children have the ability to draw the variety of marks that make up their first representational pictures. picture making—Any and all forms of purposeful expressions, beginning with controlled scribbling. portfolio—A representative collection of an artist’s work including samples from various periods, showing how the artist’s talent has developed over time. prehension—The development of a preferred hand grasp. This means a definite preference for right- or lefthandedness. pretend reading—Also called “reenactment” or “emergent reading.” Children practice reading-like behaviors that build confidence in themselves as readers. Principles and Standards for Mathematics Children Pre-K–12—A set of standards developed by the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics proposing mathematical content and processes students should know and be able to use as they progress through school.
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quality (in music experiences) vs. quantity— Children develop musical preferences at an early age so listening experiences should include a variety of styles and cultures, not just children's music. random manipulation—Squeezing clay in an uncontrolled way, comparable to the early scribble stage in drawing. random scribbling—See “disordered scribbling.” rapport—A warm and friendly feeling and relationship between people. rational counting—Comprehension of the idea that the last number counted in a sequence of objects represents all the objects in the sequence, the total number of objects counted. reading readiness—See “emerging literacy.” Often used to describe the skills involved in getting ready to read. reciprocal (use of hands)—Both hands are required to do the task. Each hand is doing the same task. Example: pulling up, hugging, and clapping. representational art—Art in which symbols are used to make a visual representation of something important to the child. rhythm—The element of art found in repeated shapes, colors, textures, and other patterns. rhythm instruments—Children learn about rhythm by first listening to the rhythmic pattern of a song, then trying to copy it using rhythm instruments. right-brained—Using the right hemisphere of the brain as the major learning method. rote counting—Memorization of a number sequence with no comprehension of what the numbers mean. schema—An individual way or pattern of drawing. It develops from much practice with drawing symbols. science—A study consisting of two phases that cannot be separated: investigation and knowledge. science/discovery center—A place to learn about nature and science; to explore the natural world. scissoring skills—A developmental skill, made up of a sequence of skills, beginning as early as age two, in a child’s first attempt at tearing.
process over product—The process that leads to originality (exploration and experimentation with materials) is more important than the end product.
scribble stage—The first stage in the development of art beginning with a child’s first scribbles, usually at about one and one-half to two years of age.
proximodental development—The pattern of human growth from inside to outside (or from center to outside).
sensorimotor—Derived from the two words, “sensory” and “motor.” Sensory refers to using the five body senses and motor refers to the physical act of doing. Sensorimotor learning involves the body and its senses as they are used in doing.
publication sites—On the Internet the sites can be used as a resource for actually publishing children’s work.
seriation—“See ordering.”
532 ■
GLOSSARY
“Small C” creativity—Creativity which involves ideas or products which are new to the person, but only to the person. An example of “Small C” creativity is a child’s new use of blending finger paint colors. social-emotional growth—Refers to two kinds of growth. Emotional growth is the growth of a child’s feelings and social growth is the child’s growth as a member of a group. software—Collective term for films, tapes, computer disks, and all other materials used on hardware (or machines) as media. Example: The computer disk is software. solitary play—The form of play in early toddlerhood when the child plays primarily alone. space—An art element referring to the distance within or between aspects in an artwork. spontaneous play (free play)—One of the two basic types of play, the other being organized play. A free, unplanned, flexible type of play. sugar—A nutritional term, generally used to refer to “sucrose,” which is refined sugar from sugar cane or beets. Other sources of sugar are fructose, dextrose, lactose, and maltose. symbol (in children’s art)—A visual representation of something of importance to the child. tableaus—“Frozen pictures” in which groups of students “freeze” or pose to act out a scene, a saying, a book title, etc. teaching peace—Teaching children a basic attitude made up of trust and consideration toward everyone. teaching songs from recordings—A method of introducing a song where children respond to the whole song rhythmically, dramatically, and with instruments. tempera—Powder paint that is mixed with water for use in painting activities.
ten thematic strands of social studies—Developed by the National Council for the Social Studies, these ten themes were developed to point to a fundamental knowledge of social studies for children (K–12). thinking brain—The part of the brain that thinks logically. It reacts after the emotional brain. three-dimensional art—Refers to any art form that has at least three sides. Art that is “in the round,” which means that one can look at it from many sides. tourist curriculum—Teaching about cultures only through artifacts such as food, traditional clothing, and household implements. two-dimensional media—A term used to refer to any art form that is flat, having only two sides—front and back. unilateral (use of hands)—Using one hand to perform a task, such as patting, reaching, grasping. varying the rhythm of the music program—A process of adding variety to the music program through choice of music, method of presentation, and lesson planning that helps hold children's interests and makes the experience enjoyable. verbal/linguistic learner—In Gardener’s theory, this learner is oriented toward language, words, reading, and writing. Often called the “word player”. visual acuity—The ability to see and recognize shape and form. visual spatial learner—In Gardener’s theory, this learner is imaginative, creative, oriented toward colors and pictures. Often called the “visualizer.” whole-song method—A method of introducing a song to children by presenting the whole song in a variety of ways.
I N DEX
Note: Page numbers in bold type reference non-text material.
learning activities for materials finding/organizing, 48 guidelines for use of, 50, 52–53 use of, 49–50 older children and, 35–36 quality of learning and, 33–35 science and, 321 sensitivity, importance of, 36–37 young children and, 37–40
A ABC Task Force, Anti-Bias Curriculum: Tools for Empowering Children, 435 Acceptance, child-to-teacher relationships and, 105, 107 Accidents preventing, 416, 417 Internet sites on, 423 Activities creative. See Creative activities to develop creativity, 89–90 to develop senses, 131–132 hand-eye coordination, classroom, 130 hearing, 132 learning. See Learning activities motor activities for checking, 130–131 large/small, 120, 131 older children and, physical development and, 132–134 providing, appropriate, 102 seeing, 131–132 smelling, 132 tasting, 132 transitions to new, 67–68 Activity centers, 80–83 color coding for independent use in, 85 convertible spaces and, 83 materials in, condition/organization of, 82–83 where/when decisions on, 82 Activity patterns, 66–67 defined, 66 Aesthetic awareness seasons and, 479–502 autumn, 480–485 spring, 489–492 summer, 493–498 winter, 485–487 Aesthetics art movement of, 35, 35 books on grades 4-5, 45 kindergarten - grade 3, 44–45 preschool, 44 defined, 32 developing own sense of, 39 experiences promoting, 49 use of senses with, 46–47
Age basic forms stage and, 144 scribble stage and, 141 Allergies, 420 Altruism, teaching and, 106 American Cancer Society, Internet site of, 423 American Dental Association, Internet site of, 423 American Heart Association, Internet site of, 423 American Music Conference International Service, Internet site of, 279 American Orff-Schulweck Association, Internet site of, 279 Analyzing Children’s Art, 137 Anger, coping with children’s, 422 Animals, linking art and science with, 322–323 Anti-Bias Curriculum: Tools for Empowering Children, 435 Anti-bias quality markers, 451 Arm movements, scribble stage and, 141 Art activities, materials for, 144 basic forms stage, 142–146 books on, 185–186, 202–203 developmental levels in, children’s, 152 ecology and, 327–328 learning activities, 154–158 math activities, activities for, 361 mental development and, 124–127 motor development and, 117–124 pictorial stage, 146–153 reading readiness and, 120 science and, 321–323 animal links with, 322–323 scribble stage, 138–142 self-concept/self-acceptance and, 100–102 sensorimotor development and, 124 show summer, 494 winter, 486 software, 203–204 stages of development and, 137–138 young children, 153
533
534 ■
INDEX
Art (continued) three-dimensional, 205 tool holder, 189 total program and, 127–128 vocabulary and, 126–127 Art activities learning styles and, 163 setting up, 164–174 for daily art experiences, 166 for preschoolers, 169–174 teacher tips, 165 for toddlers, 167–169 for weekly art activities, 166–167 Art and physical-mental growth. See Physical growth; Mental growth Art and social emotional growth books on grades 4-5, 115–116 kindergarten - grade 3, 114–115 preschool, 113–114 software on, 116 Art area, 81 mathematics in, 348–350 Art curriculum, goals/activities, grades 1-5, 172–173 Art elements, described, 38 Art materials care/storage of, 190 crayons, 190–191 history of, 198 murals, 194–195 printmaking, 195–200 safe use of, 181–182 scissors, 191–193 Art programs early childhood, goals of, 161–164 Artwork children’s displaying, 52–53 interpreting, 53 classroom, planning, 81 contrast and, 52 developmentally appropriate practices and, 34 multimedia, 32 rhythm and, 52 young children and, 49 Asch, Frank, Happy Birthday Moon, 488 Assemblage, 211–213 encouraging activities in, 212–213 Associative play, 226 Attention span, discussed, 64–66 Autumn aesthetic awareness of, 480–483 learning experiences about, 483–485 helping children experience, 487 B Bag puppets, 250 Banners, artistic expression and, 497 Barnes and Noble Web site, 464 Basic forms described, 142 stage, 142–146 early, 142–143 later, 143 observation form, 145 observation of, 144–146 two-dimensional media and, 143
Beauty salon dramatic play, 243 Behavior characteristics, children’s, music experiences and, 272–273 Behavioral guidance techniques, 69 Bilateral integration, defined, 192 Bird feeders, 486 outdoor science and, 332 Block-building area classroom, 81 encouraging play at, 399 mathematics in, 350–352 social studies at, 398 suggestions for, 351 Body parts knowledge of, defined, 192 Books on aesthetics, 44–45 on art, 185–186 program, 202–203 on art and physical-mental growth, 135-136 on art and social emotional growth, 113-116 on celebrations grade 4-5, 472–475 kindergarten - grade 3, 466–472 preschool, 464–466 on creative movement, 269–270 on creativity, 30-31 on dramatic play/puppetry, 254–5 on ecology, 329 on food experiences, 391–3 fostering creativity, 58-59 on health and safety, 431–2 on language, 315–7 math, 363–5 on music, 286–287 on play, 237–8 quiet area and, 81 on science, 342–5 on social studies, 412–3 teaching math with children’s, 349 on three-dimensional art, 221 Brain children and, 19–20 research, creative curriculum and, 24 Brayer, defined, 197–198 Bridging Cultures, Internet site of, 438 Bright Futures, Internet site of, 423 Brush painting, 188–189 materials for, 175–177 Brushes, described, 198 Bubble painting, 495 Budgeting, creative, 178 C Calculators, grades 3-5 and, 356 “Capital C creativity”, defined, 4 Cardboard construction, 213–214 cylinder puppets, 252 Cardinal numbers, defined, 353 Caring, is, 106 Cassette tape recorders, creativity and, 90 Celebrations, 401, 403–404 children’s books on grade 4-5, 472–475 kindergarten - grade 3, 466–472 preschool, 464–466
INDEX
commemorating, 435–436 reasons for, 437 curriculum areas and, 435–441 including in, 442–449 developing appropriate, 450–461 feelings/beliefs and, 437–439 learning activities for, 440–441 personal, 403–404 policy, developing a, 442–446 resources for, 462–477 children’s books, 462–463 Internet sites for, 463–464 Centers for Disease Control & Prevention, Internet site of, 423 Cephalocaudal development, defined, 117 Chalk history of, 198 materials, 174–175 small motor activities and, 129 Challenge, motivating skills and, 26 Change concept of, creative activities and, 126 helping children accept, 9 Children accepting self as different, 9 at their present developmental level, 102 activities for. See specific type of activity, 357–361 allergies, 420 anger of, coping with, 422 artwork displaying, 52–53 interpreting, 53 attention span/physical needs of, 64–68 behavior characteristics, music experiences and, 272–273 collaborating with, 107 collages and, 200–201 competition and, 69 creative questioning from, 23–25 developmental levels, 62–63 art, 152 diet, reducing sugar in, 375–376, 378–379 feelings of, motivating skills and, 26 growth characteristics of, kindergarten to grade 5, 258–259 helping to develop perseverance, 9 enjoy creativity, 9 importance of play for, 226–231 individual differences, defined, 62–63 language to use with, 72 mental development of, art and, 124–127 motor control, 124 skill characteristics of, 121–123 needs of, in art programs, 162 older. See Older children physical development. See Human development play and, 232–4 presenting songs to, 276 right-brained, 19–20 see also Early childhood social-emotional needs of, 68–69 special needs, 164 starting in printmaking, 196 talking to, about art, 196 teachers attitude toward, 70–71 young aesthetic experiences and, 37–40
■ 535
artwork and, 49 development of art in, 151 developmentally appropriate creative activities for, 63 goals of music for, 274 play and, 232 research on using computers with, 94 science and, 318–319 self-evaluation checklist on feelings of, 70 sensorimotor development and, 138 setting up art activities for, 167–171 software choices for, 92–93 stages of development of art, 153 Children and Scissors: A Developmental Approach, 191 Children’s books, ecology/environment, 329 Children’s drawings, 138 developmental levels in, 152 examples of, 139 scribble stage, 138–142 Children’s Literature Web Guide, 463 Child-to-child relationships, 103–104 Child-to-group relationships, 109 Child-to-teacher relationships, 104–108 Circles, clay, 206 Classification/sorting learning activities for, 360 mathematics and, 354 Classroom artwork in, planning, 81 cleaning equipment checklist, 416 early childhood, developmentally appropriate, 62–63 environment aesthetic enhancement and, 36 providing comfortable, 102 respecting individuality, 107–108 management techniques, 69, 84 for creative centers, 85 museum, creating, 51 pets, 328–330 teachers attitude toward, 70–71 Clay circles/triangles and, 206 containers, 165 development of schema, 207 figures, forming, 206–207 patting/rolling, 206 random manipulation of, 205–206 value of, 207–208 working with, 208 Cloud watching, outdoor science and, 333 Cognitive development, play and, 229 Colds, teaching about, 428 Collage, 200–201 preschool children and, 170 summer, 498 Color as art element, 38 concepts, creative activities and, 125 Colored markers basic forms stage and, 143 care of, 145 Communication Internet sites, 94–95 for parents, health and safety, 428 Community excursions into, 400–401 people in, studying, 399–404 workers, 400
536 ■
INDEX
Compact discs, creativity and, 90 Comparing learning activities for, 359 mathematics and, 354 Competition, 69 Computers Internet, early childhood education programs and, 93–95 value of computers in, early childhood education, 90–95 young children and, research on, 94 Construction center, for toddlers, 168–169 Consumer Information Center, Internet site of, 423 Consumer Product Safety Commission, Internet site of, 423 Contrast, artwork and, 52 Controlled scribbling, 140 Convergent thinking, 5 Convertible spaces, interest centers and, 83 Cooke, Ebenezer, 137 Cooking activities, 377 dramatic play, 243 Cooperation, child-to-child, 104 Cooperative play, 226 Cornstarch, as modeling media, 212 Counting the days, Internet site of, 352 Crayon containers, 165 Crayons history of, 198 preschool children and, 171 using, 190–191 Creative activities completing, 73–74 creative movement, 264–268 dramatic play/puppetry, 252–253 equipment selection for, 84–86 food experiences and, 371 guiding, 69 learning activities for, 74 music, 281–285 for older children, developmental needs/creative activities for, 64 play, 234–236 preparation for, 71 presentation of, 71–73 senses and, 124–126 software, 98 teachers role in creating, 61–74 for young children, 63 Creative and Mental Growth of Children, 137 Creative drama, defined, 248 Creative dynamics defined, 246 elementary grades, 246, 247–248 steps for, 248 Creative environment learning activities, 86–87 physical space guidelines, 76–77 Creative experiences, providing, for motivating children, 108 Creative food experiences. See Food experiences Creative mathematics. See Mathematics Creative movement activities for older children, 267–268 “become” one of the following activity, 264–266 books on, 269–270 creative activities, 264–268 defined, 257 importance of, 256–257 interpretations and, 262
planning, 257–264 teacher guidelines, 257 transition times and, 263 using fingerplays, 261–262, 264 music, 259–260 poetry, 260–261 prose, 260–261 see also Movement activities Creative music developmental levels and, 271–274 goals of, 274 planning, 274–280 Creative process, 4–6 being a spectator versus, 10 Creative science. See Science Creative social studies. See Social studies Creative thinking, in art programs, 162 Creativity activities to develop, 89–90 books fostering grades 4-5, 58–59 kindergarten - grade 3, 58 preschool, 58 books on kindergarten - grade 3, 31 preschool, 30–31 characteristics of, 7–8 defined, 4 facilitating, 8–9 helping children, enjoy, 9 identifying, 6 importance of, 6–7 older children and, 5 promoting creativity in play/exploration, 18, 20–21 positive acceptance of, 22–23 rewarding children for, 9 thought process and, 4–5 variety and, 5–6 Cubby, importance of, 79 Culturally programmed, 439 Cultures, clashes of, 438 Curiosity corner, for toddlers, 169 Curriculum celebrations and, 435–441 creative, brain research and, 24 developing appropriate holiday celebrations, 456–457 food experiences and, 370–371 integrated. See Integrated curriculum multicultural, 458 promoting creativity in, 17–18 modified, 21–22 Cyber Patrol, 95 D Daily art activities, setting up, 166 Dalcroze Society of America, Internet site of, 279 Dandelions fun activity, 496 spring aesthetics and, 490 De Paola, Tomie, Jamie O’Rourke and the Big Potato, 373 Deaf World Web, Internet site of, 423 Design, as art element, 38 Detergent bottle rack puppet, 250 Developmental assessment, portfolios for, 147 Developmental level
INDEX
accepting children at their present, 102 of children, 62–63 equipment arrangement, 78 stages of art and, 137–138 three-dimensional activities and, 205–207 Developmental tests, 137 Developmentally appropriate practices artwork and, 34 dramatic play, 244 in early childhood classrooms, 62–63 music, 271–274 older children and for young children, 63 Diaries, weather, 485 Disc players, creativity and, 90 Discipline. See Classroom management Discovery center classroom, 81 materials/supplies for, 323 science and, 323–325 Disordered scribbling, 138–139 Divergent thinking, 5 questions, 24–25 Doctor, dramatic play, 243 Drama, creative, 248 Dramatic play beginnings of, 242 books on, 254–5 classroom center, 81 creative activities, 252–253 development of, 242–244 developmentally appropriate, 244 housekeeping center, 244–247 experiences/equipment in, 245 importance of, 241–244 kits, 243 puppets, 249–252 winter, 486 Drawings children’s, 138 examples of, 139 scribble stage, 138–142 first early pictorial stage, 148 importance of, 150 later pictorial stage, 148 food experiences and, 371 materials for, 174 Dress, helping children, 428 Drying racks, 165–166, 189 E Early basic forms state, 142–143 Early childhood art program equipment for, 174–181 goals of, 161–164 setting up art activities for, 164–174 classrooms, developmentally appropriate, 62–63 education Internet and, 93–95 value of computers in, 90–95 motor skill characteristics of, 121–123 movement activities fingerplays, 261–2, 264 importance of, 256–257 music, 259–260
■ 537
poetry, 260–261 teacher guidelines, 257 see also Children; Learning activities Early Childhood News, Internet site of, 279 Early pictorial stage, 148 Earth science week, Internet site on, 330 Easel painting, 176–177 Ecology art and, 327–328 children’s books on, 329 classroom pets and, 328–330 science and, 325–326 Edmark’s Kid Desk: Internet Safe, 95 Education standards, national science, 320–321 Ehlert, L., Growing Vegetable Soup, 373 Elementary grade children, social characteristics of, 396 Elementary grades creative dynamics in, 246, 247–248 steps for, 248 Emotional brain, 24 Emotional growth, play and, 229–230 Emotions, expressing, 68–69 Enriched foods, defined, 379 Entertainer dramatic play, 243 Environlink Library, Internet site of, 423 Environment children’s books on, 329 plants and, outdoor science and, 333–334 Environmental education activities, 327–330 books on, 329 science and, 325–326 Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Internet site of, 423 Environmental resources, Internet site on, 330 Environments, types of, 325–326 EPA (Environmental Protection Agency), Internet site of, 423 Equipment arrangement of, 78–80 creative activities, characteristics of, 84–86 for early childhood art program, 174–181 ERIC Clearinghouse and Early Childhood Education and Activity Resources, Internet site of, 279 Excursions community, 400–401 planning, 401 videos, 402 Exploration, promoting creativity in, 18, 20–21 Eye-hand coordination, defined, 192 F Facilitate, defined, 61 Fairrosa Cyber Library, Internet site of, 463–464 Fall aesthetic awareness of, 480–483 learning experiences about, 483–485 helping children experience, 487 Father’s day, a developmental approach to, 455–456 FDA (Food and Drug Administration), Internet site of, 423 Feelings described, 47 expression of, 68–69, 104 Felt-tip pens, basic forms stage and, 143 Field trips community, 400–401 Internet sites on, 403 planning, 401 videos, 402
538 ■
INDEX
Field trips (continued) virtual, 403 Figures, 205–222 forming clay, 206–207 Fine motor development, 117 Finger painting with ice cubes, 486 materials and, 177 Finger puppets, 251 with gloves, 251–252 Fingerplays, 261–262, 264 Fingerprints, printmaking and, 197 Fire safety, 424–425 Firefighter dramatic play, 243 First drawings early pictorial stage, 148 importance of, 150 later pictorial stage, 150 Flexibility, physical space/equipment and, 78–79 Flexible thinking, defined, 126 Flowers, aesthetic observations and, 490 Folktales, 405 Food & Drug Administration (FDA), Internet site of, 423 Food experiences activities for, 372 books on, 391–3 cooking activities, 377 creative activities and, 371 curriculum areas and, 370–371 diet, reducing sugar in, 375–376, 378–379 follow-up activities, 374 importance of, 366–371 integrated units potato unit, 373 for toddlers, two- and three-year-olds, 373, 375 vegetable soup, 373 Internet web sites, 376 learning activities and, 380–390 mathematics and, 370 planning, 372–373 things to remember, 373 reading and, 370 recipes, 381–390 science and, 370–371 science center and, 371 teaching culture through, 452 Food riddles, 381 Form as art element, 38 mathematics and, 355 Forms, basic. See Basic forms Fortified foods, defined, 379 Found object printing, printmaking and, 197 Fraction activities, for older children, 361 Free choice times, transition to, 68 Free play, 225 Friends, motivating skills and, 25 Friends of Frogs, Internet site of, 330 Fruit, facts about, 375 Fun activities, motivating skills and, 25–26 G Gardening, outdoor science and, 332 Germs spreading, 428 teaching and, 428 Glove puppets, 251
Glue, 216 Goals art curriculum, grades 1-5, 172–173 motivating skills and, 26 Grocery store dramatic play, 243 Gross motor development, defined, 117 Group times, transition to, 68 Growing Vegetable Soup, 373 Growth emotional, play and, 229–230 mental, play and, 228–229 physical, play and, 227–228 social, play and, 230–231 H Hammers, as woodworking material, 215 Hand puppets, 251 Hand-eye development, 120 activities for, 130 Hands, three way use of, 192 Happy Birthday Moon, 488 Hardware, defined, 88 Health activities on, 427–430 curriculum topics, grades 3-5, 414 early childhood concerns, injury prevention, 416–417 food experiences and, 368–369 hygiene and, positive approach to, 416 Internet sites on, 423 practices, 414–416 safety experiences, 414–434 Health and safety books on, 431–2 software, 432 Health Touch, Internet site of, 423 Hearing activities, 132 Hearing impairments, students with, 164 Helping, teaching and, 106 Holidays avoid frightening, 453–454 commemorating, 435–436 reasons for, 437 discussions of, 452–453 learning activities for, 440–441 meaning of, 435 policy, developing a, 442–446 Home center dramatic play in, 244–247 experiences/equipment in, 245 teaching mathematics at the, 350 Housekeeping cleaning equipment checklist, 416–417 play center, 81 dramatic play in, 244–247 experiences/equipment in, 245 Human development hand-eye coordination, 120 large-muscle, 118 motor development and, 120 pattern of, 117–118, 118 small-muscle development, 118–120 Humanettes, 252 Hygiene positive approach to, 416 tips on, 428
INDEX
I Ice cubes, finger painting with, 486 Idea Box: Early Childhood Education and Active Resources, Internet site of, 279 Ideas, sharing, 103–104 Identity, development of, 396–398 Imagination, making things better with, 23–24 Imagining, described, 47 Impaired mobility, students with, 164 Incidental science, 320 Independence, in art programs, 162 Individual development, 396–398 Individual differences, defined, 62–63 Individuality focusing on child’s, 397–398 provide an environment respecting, 107–108 Individualized process, in art programs, 162, 164 Infants, play and, 231–232 Inflexible thinking, 126 Informal science, 320 Information, Internet sites, 94 Injuries preventing, 416–417 Internet sites on, 423 Ink, history of, 198 Integrated curriculum, creativity and, 21–22 Interactive defined, 91 Internet sites, 95 Interactive Dental Office, Internet site of, 423 Interest centers, 80–83 color coding for independent use in, 85 convertible spaces and, 83 materials in, condition/organization of, 82–83 where/when decisions on, 82 Interests, motivating skills and, 25 Internet Public Library, Youth Division of the, 464 Internet sites communication sites, 94–95 early childhood education programs and, 93–95 health, safety, accident prevention, 423 holidays/celebrations, 463–464 information sites, 94 mathematics, 352 music, 279 publication, 95 science, 330 virtual trips to museums, 40 Investigate, defined, 318–319 Irises painting, aesthetic awareness and, 497 J Jamie O’Rourke and the Big Potato, 373 Juvenile Diabetes Foundation, Internet site of, 423 K Kellogg, Rhoda, 137 Kindergarten children, social characteristics of, 395 Kindermusik, Internet site of, 279 Kites, 491 Knowledge, defined, 318–319 L Landscape, winter, 488 Language books on, 315–7 to use with children, 72
Large motor activities, 131 Large-muscle, 118 Later basic forms stage, 143 Lead pencils, basic forms stage and, 143 Learning activities aesthetic experiences, 54–57 aesthetics, 41–43 art, 154–158, 182–183 celebration/holiday policy, 447–448 creative activities, 74 environment, 86–87 creativity and, 11–13 food experiences and, 380–390 health and safety, 427–430 holidays/celebrations, 440–441 developing appropriate, 459–460 mathematics, 357–361 physical/mental growth, 129–134 science, 335–341 sensorimotor development and, 127 social studies, 407–411 social-emotional growth, 109–112 three-dimensional activities, 217–219 Learning, aesthetics and, 33–35 Learning centers, nature-related materials for, 331 Learning styles, art activities and, 163 Left-brained children, 19–20 Lesson planning, music, putting variety into, 278 Light, aesthetic awareness of, 497 Line, as art element, 38 Lowenfeld, Viktor, 137 M Mail carrier dramatic play, 243 Malnutrition, 378 Manipulative area, classroom, 81 Markers. See Colored markers Masonite boards using, 166 Materials art care/storage of, 190 crayons, 190 murals and, 194–195 printmaking, 195–200 scissors, 191–193 collages, 200 grades 3-5, calculators and, 356 modeling, 209–210 encouraging the use of, 210 murals and, 194 paint, storing/handling, 189 pasting, 193 printmaking, 197 providing, appropriate, 102 torn paper, 193 woodworking, 215 choosing/using, 215–216 selecting, 215–216 Mathematics, 346–365 art activities and, 361 books, 363–5 classification/sorting, 354 comparing, 354 developmental learning patterns and, 347 food experiences and, 370, 380, 381
■ 539
540 ■
INDEX
Mathematics (continued) grades 3-5, 355–356 Internet web sites, 352 learning activities, 357–361 numbers, 353 ordering (seriation), 354–355 teaching at the art area, 348–350 in the block center, 350–352 at the home center, 350 at the movement center, 348 using children’s books, 349 at the water table, 350 Measuring skills, food experiences and, 368 Mechanic dramatic play, 243 Media defined, 88 importance of using, 88–89 MENC (The National Association of Music Education), Internet site of, 279 Mental development, art and, 124–127 Mental growth books on grades 4-5, 136 kindergarten - grade 3, 136 preschool, 135–6 learning activities for, 129–134 play and, 228–229 Mentally challenged, students who are, 164 Mitten puppets, 251 old, 252 Mobility, impaired, students with, 164 Modeling, 208–213 behavior, defined, 247 cornstarch and, 212 defined, 208 materials, 209–210 encouraging the use of, 210 Monoprinting, 197 Moonlight, winter, 488 Mother’s day, a developmental approach to, 455–456 Motor activities, large/small, 120 Motor control, 124 activities for, 130 checking, 130–131 basic forms stage and, 144 scribble stage and, 141 Motor development art and, 117–124 defined, 117 movement and, 128 Motor skills, children and, 121–123 Movement activities activities for older children, 267–268 food experiences and, 380 importance of, 256–257 interpretations and, 262 planning creative, 257–264 transition times and, 263 using fingerplays, 261–262, 264 music, 259–260 poetry, 260–261 prose, 260–261 see also Creative movement Movement center, mathematics in, 348 Movement, motor development and, 128
Movies, creativity and, 89–90 Multimedia artwork, 32 Multiplication activities, for older children, 360–361 Murals, 194–195 spring, 491 Museums classroom, creating, 51 virtual trips to, 40 Music activities goals of, 274–280 rhythm activities and, 278–280 books on, 286–287 center, classroom, 81 creative, 271–288 activities, 281–285 experiences Internet sources of, 279 for older children, 280 food experiences and, 380 movement activities and, 259–260 program, varying rhythm of, 277–278 quality for children, 275 variety in choice of, 277 lesson planning, 278 presentation of, 277–278 Music for Little Folks, Internet site of, 279 Musikgarten, Internet site of, 279 N NAEYC (National Association for the Education of Young Children), Internet site of, 279 Nails, described, 216 Names, learning, 397 National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC), Internet site of, 279 National Council for the Social Studies, social studies national standards, 395 National Council of Teachers of Mathematics, National Standards for Grades Pre-K–12, 347 National Institute of Mental Health, Internet site of, 423 National Institute on Early Childhood Development and Education, Internet site of, 279 National Mental Health Association, Internet site of, 423 National Safety Council, Internet site of, 423 National science education standards, 320–321 ecology and, 326 Nature, sounds of, outdoor science and, 333 Neighborhood Soup, 373 Nelson, J., Neighborhood Soup, 373 Net Nanny, 95 The New Mexico State University Library, Internet site of, 463 Ni, strategies for, 71–73 Non-violence, practicing, 428 Numbers, learning activities for, 358–360 O O’Keefee, Georgia, The Mountain, New Mexico painting, 493 Old mitten puppets, 252 Older children activities for. See specific type of activity aesthetic experiences and, 35–36 creativity and, 5 developmentally needs, creative activities and, 64 learning activities for. See Learning activities modeling activities, encouraging, 210–211
INDEX
music experiences for, 280 physical development and, activities to aid, 132–134 working with, 23 Once upon a time, Internet site of, 352 One-to-one correspondence, 353 “On-Lion” for Kids, Internet site of, 463 Opinions, sharing, 103–104 Optical illusions, 497–498 Ordering (seriation) learning activities for, 359 mathematics and, 354–355 Ordinal number, defined, 353 Organization of American Kodaly Educators, Internet site of, 279 Organized play, 225–226 Originality in art programs, 162 described, 6 Otto Club Web Site, Internet site of, 423 Outdoor play area, 82 Outdoor science, 330–335 bird feeders, 332 cloud/sky watching, 333 gardening, 332 nature-related materials for, 331 plants and the environment and, 333–334 rain water and, 333 sounds of nature and, 333 water play experiences and, 334–335 Overhead projectors, creativity and, 90 P Paint containers, 165 dispensers, 189 mixing, 176 Painter dramatic play, 243 Painting brush, 188–189 bubble, 495 easel, 176–177 finger, materials for, 177 materials brush, 175–177 storing/handling, 189 preschool children and, 170–171 shaving cream, 491 sponge, 495 Paper basic forms stage and, 144, 146 plate (two-faced) puppets, 251 pulp, materials, 209–210 scrap boxes, 165 scribbling and, 142 stencils, 198–199 torn, pasting and, 193–194 Papier-mâché, 209–210 Parallel play, 226 Parents Resource for Drug Education, Internet site of, 423 Pasting materials, 177–178, 193 torn paper and, 193–194 Patchwork collage, 200 Patting, clay, 206 Peace, teaching about, 404–406 Pencils basic forms stage and, 143
■ 541
facts about, 175 Pens, described, 198 People puppets, 252 Personal celebrations, 403–404 space, 79 Pets, classroom, 328–330 Physical growth books on grades 4-5, 136 kindergarten - grade 3, 136 preschool, 135–6 learning activities for, 129–134 play and, 227–228 Physical motor development. See Motor development Physical needs, 64–68 motivating skills and, 25 Physical space equipment arrangement, 78–80 guidelines for, 76–77 Pictorial stage, 146–153, 189 early, 148 later, 148–150 observation of, 151–153 form, 151 Picture making, 187–190 defined, 187 Ping-pong ball puppets, 251 Plane, as woodworking material, 215 Plants, environment, outdoor science and, 333–334 Plastic spoons, art materials and, 189 Play books on, 237–8 characteristics of, 225 creative activities, 234–236 described, 200, 224–226 dramatic. See Dramatic play importance of, 226–231 promoting creativity in, 18, 20–21 sequence of, 226 stages of, 231–234 types of, 225–226 Play area outdoor, 82 sand/water in classroom, 81 setting the stage for, 231 Play center, housekeeping/dramatic, 81 Play dough materials/use of, 180 puppets, 251 Plumber dramatic play, 243 Poetry, movement activities and, 260–261 Poison safety, 425–426 Poisonous plants, 419 Portfolios, developmental assessment with, 147 Post office dramatic play, 243 The Potato Man, 373 Potter’s clay materials/use, 179–180 Prehension, defined, 192 Pre-prejudice, described, 439 Preschool children art activities for, setting up, 169–174 social characteristics of, 395 Pretzel, 381 Primary grade children, social characteristics of, 395–396 Printing, preschool children and, 171
542 ■
INDEX
Printmaking, 195–200 materials, 197 starting children in, 196 suggested experiments, 199–200 techniques, 197–199 Problems, children and answers to, 9 Process, over product, 6 Processes collages, 200–201 crayons and, 190–191 murals and, 195 torn paper and pasting, 193–194 Product, process over, 6 Programs, art. See Art programs Prose, movement activities and, 260–261 Proximodental development, defined, 117 Publication, Internet sites, 95 Punching, small motor activities and, 129–130 Puppets/puppetry books on, 254–5 creative activities with, 252–253 detergent bottle rack, 250 dramatic play and, 249–252 as health activity, 428 kinds of, 250–252 using, 249–250 Q Questioning creative, children and, 23–25 divergent thinking, 24–25 Quiet area, books and, 81 creative, 176 R Rain water, outdoor science and, 333 Random manipulation, described, 205 Random scribbling, 138–139 Rapport child-to-teacher relationships and, 105 defined, 105 Rational counting, 353 Reading food experiences and, 370 readiness, art and, 120 Recipes, food experiences, 381–390 Rectangles, clay, 206 Reinforcements, motivating skills and, 26 Relationships child-to-child, 103–104 child-to-group, 109 child-to-teacher, 104–108 Relief prints, defined, 195 Representational art, defined, 146 Rey, Margaret, Pretzel, 381 Rhythm activities, music activities and, 278–280 artwork and, 52 instruments, 278–280 Right-brained children, 19–20 Rolling, clay, 206 Rote counting, 353 S Safety activities on, 428–430
art materials and, 181–182 education, 418–426 fire, 424–425 food experiences and, 368–369 Internet sites on, 423 physical space and, 77 poison, 425–426 poisonous plants, 419 traffic, 421–424 Safety City, Internet site of, 423 Sand play area, classroom, 81 table, for toddlers, 169 Saws, as woodworking material, 215 Schema importance of, 150 late pictorial stage and, 148–150 Science activities, 335–341 types of, 319–213 art and, 321–323 animal links with, 322–323 materials/activities, 321–323 books on, 342–344 center, 323–325 food experiences and, 371 ecology and, 325–326 environmental education and, 325–326 food experiences and, 370 importance of, 319 Internet sites on, 330 outdoor, 330–335 bird feeders, 332 cloud/sky watching, 333 gardening, 332 nature-related materials for, 331 plants and the environment and, 333–334 rain water and, 333 sounds of, 333 water play experiences and, 334–335 software, 365 software on, 344–5 young children and, 318–319 Science center, classroom, 81 Scissoring skills, 191–193 Scissors holders, 165 Scrap art materials/use, 179 Screws, 216 Scribble stage art and, 138–142 observation of, 141–142 form, 141 two-dimensional media and, 140–141 Scribbling controlled, 140 random/disordered, 138–139 Sculpture, ideas, 211 Seasons activities for, 484 aesthetic awareness and, 479–502 autumn, 480–485 winter, 485–487 helping children experience, 487 Seed collage, 200 Seeing activities, 131–132 Self-acceptance, art and, 100–102 Self-awareness
INDEX
activities for, 408–409 development of, 396–397 Self-concept art and, 100–102 helping children build, positive, 107 Self-esteem. See Self-acceptance Self-evaluation checklist, on young children’s feelings, 70 Senses activities for, 131–132 creative activities and, 124–126 described, 47 using, 24 with aesthetic experiences, 46–47 Sensing, described, 47 Sensorimotor defined, 124 experiences, 127 learning in art, 124 mode, young children and, 138 Sensory corner, for toddlers, 169 Seriation learning activities for, 359 mathematics and, 354–355 Shape as art element, 38 math activities, activities for, 361 mathematics and, 355 Sharing child-to-child, 104 teaching and, 106 Shaving cream painting, 491 Sight, creative activities and, 125 Sky watching, outdoor science and, 333 “Small C creativity”, defined, 4 Small motor activities, 129–130 Small-muscle development, 118–120 food experiences and, 368 Smelling activities, 132 Sneezing, discussion on, 426 Social characteristics, 395–396 Social growth, play and, 230–231 Social science center, classroom, 82 Social skills, food experiences and, 368 Social studies books on, 412–3 celebrations and, 401, 403–404 community, people in, 399–404 food experiences and, 381 individual development/identity, self-awareness, 396–397 individual identity/identity focusing on child’s uniqueness, 397–398 learning names, 397 learning about one’s world, 396 learning activities for, 407–411 National Council for the Social Studies, national standards, 395 software, 413 teaching, about peace, 404–406 Social-emotional growth, 100 learning activities, 109–112 Social-emotional needs, children’s, 68–69 Sock puppets, 251 Software art, 203–204 on art and social emotional growth, 116 choosing for children, 92–93 creative activities, 98
■ 543
defined, 88 evaluation criteria, 93 health and safety, 432 on science, 344–5, 365 social studies, 413 on three-dimensional art, 221–2 Solitary play, 226 Sorting/classifying learning activities for, 360 mathematics and, 354 Space, as art element, 38 Space day, Internet site on, 330 Sparky’s World, Internet site of, 423 Spatter technique, printmaking and, 199 Special needs children, 164 Spectator, being a creative doer versus, 10 Speech impairments, students with, 164 Sponge painting, 495 Spontaneous play, 225 Spoons, plastic, art materials and, 189 Spring aesthetic awareness of, 489 learning experiences about, 489–493 helping children experience, 487 murals, 491 painting ideas, 491 Stained glass, aesthetic awareness of, 497 Standards, national science education, 320–321 Stapling, small motor activities and, 129–130 Stencils, paper, 198–199 Stereotypes, discussed, 457 Stick puppets, 250 Still life, appreciation of, 498 Styrofoam ball puppets, 251 Styrofoam prints, 197–198 Sugar, reduction of in diets, 375–376, 378–379 Summer aesthetic awareness of, 493 learning experiences about, 494–498 helping children experience, 487 Supervision, physical space/equipment and, 78 Symbol, defined, 146 T Tape recorders, creativity and, 90 Tasting activities, 132 Teachers altruism and, 106 attitude toward children/classroom, 70–71 creative activities, teachers role in creating, 61–74 motivating skills for, 25–26 self-evaluation checklist, 70 strategies for success, 71–73 Tearing, small motor activities and, 129–130 Tempera paint basic forms stage and, 143 defined, 188 Ten thematic strands of social studies, 395 TerraServer, Internet site of, 330 Texas Instruments Educational Resources, Internet site of, 352 Texture collection, described, 200 Thanksgiving, a developmental approach to, 455 The Mountain, New Mexico painting, 493–494 Thinking brain, 24 creative, in art programs, 162
544 ■
INDEX
Thinking (continued) flexible, 126 inflexible, 126 Thought process, creativity and, 4–5 Three-dimensional activities books on, 221 cardboard construction, 213–214 developmental levels and, 205–207 learning activities, 217–219 modeling, 208–213 woodworking, 214–216 Three-dimensional art software on, 221–2 defined, 205 Tie-dye project, 495 Timelines, Internet site of, 352 Toddlers play and, 231–232 setting up, art activities for, 167–169 Tools storage/care of, 215 woodworking, selecting, 215–216 Torn paper, pasting, 193–194 Torrance, Paul behavior versus teachers desires, 7 creativity defined by, 4 freeing self to creativity, 5 Tourism curriculum, 436 Traffic flow, physical space/equipment and, 79 safety, 421–424 Transition times, movement activities and, 263 Transitions to free choice times, 68 to group times, 68 to new activities, 67–68 Trips community, 400–401 planning, 401 videos, 402 Two-dimensional media basic forms stage and, 143 brush painting and, 188–189 defined, 140 picture making and, 187–190 scribble stage and, 140–141 Two-faced (paper plate) puppets, 251 V Valentine’s day, a developmental approach to, 455 Van Gogh, Irises painting, aesthetic awareness and, 497 Variety creativity and, 5–6 motivating skills and, 26
Vegetable printing, 197 soup, food unit and, 373 Videotapes, creativity and, 89–90 Virtual field trips, 403 Visual acuity, defined, 120 impairments, students with, 164 Vocabulary, art and, 126–127 W Water play area classroom, 81 outdoor science and, 334–335 teaching mathematics at the, 350 Water, rain, outdoor science and, 333 Weather diaries, 485 Webmath, Internet site of, 352 Weekly art activities, setting up, 166–167 What-would-happen-if technique, 25 Wilde, Oscar, aesthetics art movement and, 35 Wind words, 490 Winter aesthetic awareness of, 485 learning experiences about, 486–487, 488 Wooden spoon puppets, 251 Woodworking, 214–216 center, classroom, 82 materials, 180–181 choosing/using, 215–216 tools, 215 Workbench, woodworking and, 215 Writing, food experiences and, 371 Y Young children aesthetics and, 37–40 artwork and, 49 computers and, research or, 94 creative activities for, developmentally appropriate, 63 development of art in, 151 drawings by, examples of, 139 music and, goals of, 274 play and, 232 science and, 318–319 self-evaluation checklist, on feelings of, 70 sensorimotor development and, 138 setting up art activities for, 167–171 software choices for, 92–93 stages of development of art, 153 Youth Division of the Internet Public Library, Internet site of, 464 Z Zoo trip, 496
